Here And Thereafter
by Nerva al'Thor
Summary: COMPLETED! When Ryou gets hit by a truck, his soul is knocked from his body and flung into limbo. His body's alive, now housing a single entity, his yami. Yugi and the others don't know it yet, but can they help Ryou come back before chaos ensues?
1. The Accident

Author's notes:

Hi! It's me again! Hope you like this fic! This was inspired by a game of Duel Monsters in tea time and a few books that I've read. Enjoy reading!

I don't **OWN** Yu-Gi-Oh!!!

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Here and Thereafter

Chapter 1: _The Accident_

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Ryou stared glumly at the lower left part of the blackboard, where the last and hardest question of today's final test was written in white chalk. 

__

Transform 189 + 81¡ into Polar Form

Ryou rolled his brown eyes. The silence in the room was so pure that you could hear the slightest scratch of pen on paper. He stared down at his paper, which was littered with trigonometric solutions. There were red circles where his final answers were located. He sighed impatiently. He dearly wished that this day would be over. He wanted to see his friends.

BRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

"Okay class, pass your papers!" the teacher shouted.

The students gladly obeyed. There was a loud commotion as everyone got up, started talking and slung their bags over their shoulders. Ryou fitted his notebooks into his bag and got up, glad that the class had finally come to an end.

Yugi, Tea, Joey and Tristan were waiting for him by the canteen. They all smiled as he joined them. Cards were scattered on the table beside their drinks and burgers.

"Dueling?" Ryou asked.

Yugi nodded. "Tristan wanted to try if his skills haven't rusted yet. By his performance, I gladly tell him that he's still got the magic."

Tristan smiled smugly as he gathered his deck and pocketed it. Joey looked around at them all.

"Since we're complete now, let's go! Yugi's found this new card shop somewhere and they have those really rare cards!" Joey announced. "Come on, we wouldn't want all the good ones taken, right?"

Yugi, Tea and Tristan stood up. The five of them walked out of the canteen, chattering about their classes.

"Really, with a horrible 70 on it, I don't know how I'm going to tell my parents!" Tea fidgeted as she told Tristan about how her Algebra homework turned out. "And we're supposed to have them _signed_…I'm doomed, Tristan!"

Joey turned to Ryou. "How about you, Bakura? Did you have a hard time today?"

"Oh, it's always the usual with special class students." Ryou smiled. "We had a couple of tests on Chemistry, Trigonometry and Physics but it isn't really that hard—"

"_A couple of tests_?" Joey burst out. "You always take tests everyday! Are you sure your brain hasn't dried up or something like that?"

"No, it's really wonderful, my subjects." Ryou shook his head. "It's just a matter of dedication and concentration anyway…I have plenty of that, so…"

They left Domino High and entered the streets of the city. They went to the pedestrian lane and started to cross while the light was still red. Ryou, however, discovered that his shoelace was ruined and had to stay behind while Yugi and the others made it across the street.

"Ryou, hurry up!" Yugi called.

"A minute!" Ryou grunted as he tied his shoelace tightly. "There—I'm coming, guys!"

He straightened up and crossed the street, forgetting that the lights had turned green. Ryou didn't know what happened to him next. He could remember hearing Yugi's, Tea's, Tristan's and Joey's shouts, then the hysterical beeping of horns and then very great, excruciating pain.

Ryou's soul was knocked clean out of his skin, catapulted straight into limbo.

"RYOU!" Yugi shouted. 

"Oh my god!" Tea gasped.

Ryou straightened up as he fixed his shoelaces and crossed the street without so much as a second look at the lanes. A garbage truck that had lost control of it's brakes appeared out of nowhere and knocked right into Ryou's seemingly frail body. Tristan saw Ryou's bag spin in midair, scattering his things. Joey saw Ryou fly and then slam into a nearby post. The truck careened wildly and crashed into Domino High's walls.

Yugi didn't have time for second thoughts. He ran to where Ryou's tattered body was, Tristan, Tea and Joey following his wake. Soon sirens sounded, and police cars appeared. 

"Ryou! Ryou!" said Yugi, panic quickly overcoming him. "Ryou, wake up!"

"I'll call an ambulance!" said Tristan before dashing to the nearest phone booth.

People started to flock around them. By the looks of it, Ryou was dead. He wasn't answering, and he looked really terrible. Yugi and Tea didn't know what to do. 

"Yugi, the paramedics are here!" Joey exclaimed as the crowd around them parted.

Armed with a stretcher, the paramedics quickly transferred Ryou to a lying position and started to check for vital signs. Tea couldn't stand it so she turned away. Yugi was praying silently that his friend be alive.

"It's a miracle!" said one of the paramedics. "This boy's alive after having shattered his whole spinal column!"

"Oh thank god!" Tea breathed.

"Can we come with you to the hospital?!?" Tristan asked as the doctors took Ryou to the ambulance. "Please, we're his friends and his father's not here—!"

"All right, hop in!"

They quickly scrambled into the ambulance and hurtled full-speed to Domino Hospital.

But Yugi and the others did not know what had really taken place. Ryou had died. His body was alive, yes, but someone else was in there. It wasn't Ryou, because right now he's floating in limbo, confused. 

The Millenium Ring had saved its master. Ryou's yami was the one going to the hospital to be treated, not him.

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Please review!!!!!! 


	2. The Abode of Souls

Author's Notes:

Thanks to all those who've reviewed the first chapter!!!

I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!!!

Thanks for all those constructive criticisms!!!

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Here and Thereafter

Chapter 2: _The Abode of Souls_

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Ryou was highly disconcerted, and there were three reasons why. First, he couldn't remember anything except excruciating pain before indefinite numbness spread all the way to his legs. Second, the scenery around him changed completely; Domino City had suddenly vanished, only to be replaced by this great and empty landscape where he floated. Third, he looked at his hands and to his horror, he found them bathed in gentle white light and _transparent_.

"What has happened to me?" Ryou asked himself nervously as he looked around at the unending white plane. "Where am I? Where are Yugi and the others?"

"Ooh, a new soul!"

Ryou nearly jumped out of his skin in fright. He turned wildly around and his eyes rested upon the most bizarre creature he had ever seen. The thing resembled Blue Eyes White Dragon, blinking up at him with huge blue eyes. The thing was also smiling and holding up what looked like a crystal throbbing with a gentle pinkish light. Ryou drifted backward, his mind racing.

"Ooh, the white-haired boy is scared!" said the creature. "You're just like them, you know, you can't accept the truth."

"Truth?" Ryou repeated, discovering that his voice had become echoey and faraway. "What truth? What are you talking about?"

The Blue Eyes look-alike tilted its head on one side. "The truth, boy! The general truth that _you're dead_!"

It was like being hit on the head with a frying pan. Ryou blinked and shook his head.

"You lie!" he said in the same echoey voice that seemed to come from everywhere, not from his own mouth. "I'm not dead! I didn't even know how or why I ended up in this place! I'm just dreaming!"

The creature laughed. "Ah, so very much like them! Look, here are a few more!"

It pointed a single, clawed finger. Ryou followed it with his gaze. A soft moan escaped his lips. At least a hundred more souls came floating above him, every single one of them transparent and wore confused and disbelieving looks. Ryou followed their progress and saw them float toward a nearby passage that was so bright he couldn't see what lay beyond it.

"See, boy?" said the Blue Eyes clone. "Only souls and tunnel drivers like me are allowed here. This is limbo. Purgatory, if that's what you like to call it. You're _dead_, boy, there's no use trying to refuse the fact. You did die in a rather painful way, you know, I saw it when I was looking down earlier. Your body was a mess."

Ryou tore his gaze from the bright tunnel with difficulty. "But I can't be dead! I'm only sixteen years old! I haven't even finished high school! You're lying!"

"Tunnel drivers don't lie." The Blue Eyes clone frowned deeply at him. "Now if you'd excuse me, Saint Peter wants me to tidy up the western regions. I haven't got all eternity to make you accept you're dead."

There was a soft _whoosh_ as the Blue Eyes clone soared away. Ryou was panic-stricken. Was he really dead like what that creature said? Although it was very preposterous, Ryou was presented with solid evidences that told him he was indeed, now deceased. For one thing, his voice and his hands were scary enough.

"Somebody's got to answer me!" Ryou muttered helplessly as he floated upward toward the bright tunnel. "I want answers! I need them!"

He floated down the tunnel with the other spirits. Ryou took his time to look around at his ethereal company. Priests, political leaders, kids, gruff-looking men, whores and all sorts floated past him. Many of them bore agony on their faces, while very few even looked excited. He swallowed.

__

Sixteen-year-olds didn't die! He was just having a bad dream, that's all…

A mighty roar that seemed to shake the whole place tugged Ryou from his thoughts. He covered his ears as the roar echoed all around the place. The sound itself was very frightening; it made the hairs at the back of his neck rise. 

There, at the left side of the tunnel, was a great fissure. Ryou could tell he wouldn't want to go there. The fissure glowed bright red with flickering flames, and many of the souls were being sucked up into it like what a vacuum cleaner does. Ryou shuddered as he saw something very black having the shape of a man, but with horns and a pointed tail. He looked away.

He floated there for what seemed like hours, until the tunnel was divided into two. The left branch went downward like a steep cliff, while the right branch sloped upward. Then he felt it as an invisible force began to tug his body, drawing him to the tunnel's right branch.

"Oh, oh!" said Ryou as he was pulled irresistibly up.

Next he found himself standing before an old man with silvery hair and beard. The man was busy scribbling notes on his clipboard and didn't even look up as Ryou walked toward him.

"Name?" the man asked in a Jewish accent.

"R-Ryou Bakura." Ryou replied nervously.

"Age?"

"Sixteen."

"Origin?"

Ryou blinked. "Excuse me?"

"All right, all right," said the man impatiently. "Hometown?"

"Domino City, Japan—"

At this, the man's head snapped up. There were hundreds of deep lines etched into his face, and his eyes were of the most vivid green. He was frowning at Ryou.

"Can I have your name again?"

"Ryou Bakura, sir, I was wondering why—" Ryou started.

"Hmm, that can't be right." The man frowned, standing up and cutting off Ryou's sentence. 

The man went to an expensive-looking mainframe just a few meters behind his desk. Ryou floated behind him curiously.

"Please, sir, I need to know where I am and what I am doing here." Ryou said desperately. "I met this weird creature a while ago and he said I was dead—"

"And Fluffy wasn't lying to you, you are dead." The man cut him off again as he opened a window in the computer's monitor. "Tunnel drivers aren't allowed to lie. You're at the gates of Heaven, my boy, and you _are_ dead, but there is something seriously wrong about your record…"

Ryou felt his strenght leave him. His hands fell limply to his side. "I'm…_dead_…?"

"Now, this is definitely _not right_…"

Ryou looked up as the man faced him.

"What are you doing here," said the man, frowning. "When your body is still alive and is currently in a hospital's ICU?"

Ryou's confusion increased even more. "_What_?!?"

Ryou's body was lying in a deep sleep, a dozen tubes inserted into it. Machines also surrounded his bed, all glowing and kept emitting whirring noises. The window was shut with thick curtains to keep the light out. But something was happening.

A finger twitched, followed by a throaty grunt. 

Then the eyes opened. The very first image that greeted the brown orbs was the white ceiling of the ICU. Then the eyes darted around the room. Another finger twitched.

Golden light erupted from where the Millenium Ring appeared. Then Bakura smiled in spite of the tube inserted into his mouth and nostrils.

After more than 3,000 years of existing as a disembodied spirit, he was finally alive again. Alive, truly alive, now with this body under his complete control. 

That damned pharaoh had better prepare himself.

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Whew! That's a wrap for this chapter! Please leave a review!


	3. The Problem

Author's Notes:

Very special thanks to the following people: _Princess Krystal01, iluvkaiba, Fluffeh, Yutaan, S.A Bonasi, AnimeDarkside, Marikzgal4eva, LinkGirl, insane penguin and Yami Bakura's little thief_.

Thanks also to other people who are reading this.

Enjoy reading!

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Here and Thereafter

Chapter 3: _The Problem_

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Yugi sighed anxiously as he arranged the pell-mell things in his locker. It had been six week since Ryou had been hit by that truck (time flies, doesn't it? 0_o;), and the last time Yugi saw him he was still in a dreadful comatose. They haven't visited him for a week now because the examinations were coming, and the pressure on their shoulders was overwhelming.

Yugi stole a glance at his schedule. His next subject after lunch was World History. He groaned; he had always been poor at memorizing names, and their topic today was about the ancient Roman emperors. He wished he had Yami's outstanding memory with him, but then, his dark side was still in a deep hibernation.

Yami had been inactive for three months now, and Yugi was getting nervous. At times he would meditate and knock at Yami's door, but no answer came. Yugi was sure that his darker side was still alive because every now and then his Millenium Puzzle would give him a reassuring glow. Yami doesn't even have an idea about what happened to Ryou.

"Hello, Yugi…"

Yugi gave a start and looked around. He gave a strangled cry and all his things came spilling to the floor.

"Bakura?!?" he gasped, eyes widening.

(Yami) Bakura tilted his head on one side and flashed Ryou's smile at Yugi's direction. "What's the matter, Yugi? You look like you've seen a ghost."

But it wasn't just Yugi who had that reaction. The whole corridor had gone quiet, and every eye was on Bakura. Yugi still could not speak. Something wasn't right here. Ryou Bakura stood there plainly in Domino High's blue uniform, hands in his pockets as if nothing bad had ever happened to him. The doctor clearly said to Yugi that Ryou was expected to be in a comatose for a whole year, and now this.

"It's impossible…" Yugi stammered, looking up. "The doctor said—said that—"

"I'm supposed to be in a coma for a whole year, perhaps?" Bakura finished the sentence with an amused sigh. "Aren't you happy to see me recover this fast? Just a month and I'm all right!"

Yugi had far too many experiences with the powers of the devious Millenium Ring to buy this excuse. He shot another nervous gaze at what seemed to be Ryou's gentle face.

"I—I'm afraid I don't trust you." Yugi said in a small voice, avoiding Bakura's brown eyes.

__

This imp has a fast mind, Bakura thought. His smile faded a bit, but he hitched it back in place. "I need some explaining to do, huh? Well, let me tell you."

Yugi met his gaze. Bakura was just about to talk when the bell rang. Yugi bent and picked up his things and quickly scuttled away without a second word. He left his locker open. Bakura's face gave way to his trademarked frown.

"I can't sense the pharaoh." He mused. "And the Millenium Puzzle's aura is going haywire…what is going on?"

Then he remembered something. He was supposed to be in Physics class. Bakura shrugged and walked toward the classroom without any trouble at all, thanks to the scraps of Ryou's memories. He went into Ryou's class, and he was yet again met with the same dumbfounded gazes. He sat at the farthest corner of the room.

"So this is what Ryou calls _high school_." Bakura gave a hollow laugh as he surveyed the teenagers around him. "Too many young people, but too few to steal. This is boring."

He shifted in his seat and felt stinging pain erupt from his back. 

"I've got to go back!" Ryou burst out frantically, wringing his hands. "You can't have _that_ person walking around in my body! This will bring about total chaos! I have to go back!"

Saint Peter looked at the panicking white-haired boy behind him. "What? You want me to throw you back down to earth?"

Ryou shook his head and made to grab the saint's shoulders, but his hands just passed through. He looked at his digits in absolute terror. Saint Peter sighed piteously and rolled his green eyes.

"Calm down, boy." He said. "Sit down—err, float, if you like."

"But I _can't_ calm down!" Ryou shouted, his voice echoing loudly like a gong. "You have _no_ idea—there inside my body—he'll kill them all!"

"I SAID CALM DOWN, BOY!" Saint Peter shrieked. Somewhere, thunder rolled.

Ryou cringed and breathed deeply, still looking at the computer's monitor, where he saw his yami pretending to take notes on the Laws of Thermodynamics. He reached up and started biting his fingernails. He had never been so afraid like this before for his friends. 

"You're dead, boy, and what you're asking for is too complicated, do you understand me?" Saint Peter spoke in a milder tone. "_I_ can't just push you back into your body! Things have become complicated, do you get that? That Ring your other side has is the one responsible for your untimely death! There is only one way to bring you back, and that is through the power of another Artifact!"

Ryou reached up and covered his ears. He shook his head, his long, white hair flouncing on his shoulders. "It's you who doesn't understand! I don't care what it takes—but you have to return me there!"

"Only the Millenium Rod can return you to your body, boy!" Saint Peter yelled.

Ryou's shoulders fell helplessly. "The Millenium Rod?"

Saint Peter nodded. "Yes, and nothing else. But I doubt if Marik will help you in any way…"

"But he's _got to_!" Ryou wailed in his inhuman voice. "Marik has to help me!"

"It's impossible, boy!" Saint Peter shouted above his wails. "You can no longer come back! You're dead!"

"I don't care if I have to become a poltergeist!" Ryou yelled back. "I'm going back there!"

"Wait—wait, boy!" said Saint Peter, but it was too late. Ryou had soared back to the tunnel. "Oh, Christ—!"

Ryou soared back the tunnel in full speed. He had to come back. There was no other way to save his friends, much more save Yugi. But he had forgotten one very important thing, though. Time counted against spirits. He only had two weeks to make everyone realize what was going on—or else he would vanish forever. 

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Téa felt a vein throb on her forehead. Joey and Tristan were bickering behind her as they left their classrooms, and the noise was finally getting to her. She spun around, Algebra book in hand, and thwacked Joey and Tristan on the head with it.

"What was that for, Téa?!?" Jono grumbled as he clutched a bun-sized lump on his head.

"That hurt, you!" Tristan snapped.

"JUST SHUT UP!" Téa bellowed at the two. "I CAN'T STAND IT—YOU TWO ALWAYS BICKERING—AAARRGGHHH!"

Joey and Tristan recoiled in fright. "Calm down, girl, we'd shut up now! Promise!"

Téa flipped her hair and regained her composure. "One more fit and I swear it's the trash bin to you two!"

"By the way, where's Yugi?" said Joey, changing the topic. "We haven't seen him the whole day…"

"Hey there, guys!"

The three spun around and saw Yugi running toward them. It would have been okay if Yugi was smiling, but Tristan quickly noted the terrorized expression on his face.

"What's the matter, old dude?" Tristan asked. "Somebody bullied you again?"

Yugi grabbed his shoulders and shook his head. "N-no—it's—it's—!"

"Hey you guys! There you are!"

Tristan, Joey and Téa looked up. Like what Yugi expected, their jaws dropped open. Bakura came running toward them, smile still in place. The thief came to a halt before them, clutching a stitch in his chest and wincing.

"Horrible day, isn't it? So many…uh…_missions_!" Bakura said in a falsely cheery voice that didn't suit him. "I wonder what's for dinner?"

He was answered with stunned silence. Bakura straightened up, looking from one stupefied face to the next. 

"What? You look like you've seen—" he began.

"A GHOST!" Joey shouted, completely losing his wits. "AAAAGHHH! A GHOST!"

"Stop it, Joey!" Yugi called. "It's Bakura!"

Bakura nodded. "That was rude of you Joey. What a nice way to greet a friend…"

"What—are—you—doing—here—?" Téa asked jerkily. "You're—you're supposed—"

"To be in a comatose, yes, yes, I know." Bakura said brightly. "A miracle happened you know, and it's thanks to my Ring here that I found myself sitting up, alive as ever!"

Tristan and Joey exchanged shocked glances.

"Are you sure you're Ryou at all?" Joey asked. "You could be—could be—"

Bakura pouted convincingly. "It is me! You've already gotten rid of my yami back in Duelist Kingdom! I tell the truth—the Millenium Ring healed me and now I'm back here with you guys!"

Once more, the four exchanged disbelieving looks. Bakura looked at them hopefully, bouncing slightly on his heels. 

Tristan swallowed. "This is freaky…"

"Unbelievable." Joey agreed.

"Oh, crap, I've got to go home." Bakura said disappointedly as he checked his watch. "Well, see you tomorrow!"

And he flounced away like a five-year-old boy. 

"I don't trust him." Téa piped up at once. "It isn't the Bakura we know! Nobody's stupid enough to believe this!"

"But it can't be the evil Bakura—we've finished him already!" Joey argued.

"But this is still too fishy!" Tristan snapped. "You're too stupid sometimes, you know, for once in your life can you think straight?!?"

"What do you think, Yugi?" Joey asked, turning to their friend. "Yugi?"

But it wasn't Yugi that they found standing next to them. It was already Yami, whose eyes were so puffy with too much sleep.

"So you're awake now!" Téa said. "What do you think?!? Is that Ryou or his yami?"

Yami turned to them, his face quite slack. "I don't know…what I sense from him is completely and truly Ryou. That's not his yami at all."

"Are you sure of that?" said Tristan. "I don't like that look on your face."

Yami blinked in a dream-like manner that was so unlike him. "One hundred percent sure that that is Ryou. Not his yami, but Ryou."

"We'd have to trust Yami, guys." Joey said. "If he says that's Ryou then that's him!"

The Millenium Puzzle glowed briefly and Yugi was back. 

"I don't know, guys," he said. "I wouldn't count on Yami's word these days…something's wrong with him as well…"

"But if we can't trust the Puzzle, whom would we turn to?" said Téa.

She was right. 

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Sorry if this chapter sucked… 0_o;


	4. The First Move

Author's Notes:

The usual: I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!

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Here and Thereafter

Chapter 4: _The First Move_

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The Kaiba Duel Cube, the little gadget that can change the whole Duel Monsters world, as we know it. Having the dimensions of two by two inches, this transparent and harmless-looking gadget can store a maximum of 150 different Magic Cards, Trap Cards and Monster Cards images, abilities and effects. The KDC was also armed with state-of-the-art downloading and processing technologies, and when used, can literally bring to life every single card a player has. 

The KDC was also fifty percent more efficient that the old Duel system and the disk system. There was only one available, a prototype, currently resting in the hands of its designer and creator, Seto Kaiba.

It was algebra class today and the teacher wasn't present, so the III-A students of the special class had two whole hours to their enjoyment. The classroom buzzed with chatter except for Seto, who was sitting down and scribbling notes on his notebook. The KDC was in his left had, glimmering innocently.

"This equation here needs major tweaking…" Seto spoke as he chewed the cap of his pen. "Add another variable and the output percentage would be ruined…but I can't deduct values either…that would ruin the download speed…dammit, why is thing so _headstrong_?"

He tore off the page and crumpled it in his hand. He stuffed it into his bag, where hundreds of crumpled paper balls were already in. Seto heaved an impatient sigh and he rewrote the troublesome equation for the nth time.

"Dratted…stupid…variable…" he hissed through gritted teeth.

"What are you doing, Kaiba?" an innocent voice asked.

Kaiba looked up and came face to face with Bakura, who was smiling hopefully at him. He frowned deeply. "Never you mind, British boy, shove your nose out of my business."

"I can offer some help with your equation." Bakura persisted in Ryou's voice.

Kaiba threw him a dirty look. "Get lost."

But Bakura had already pulled the notebook toward him and started solving it. 

"You _should_ transfer this one here," Bakura explained as his hand moved quickly across the page. "And add five to both sides for you to be able to cancel out _this_. Now, if you convert this to the standard form like _this_, then you can factor them out. And the other one _here_ can be substituted _here_ and there you have it."

He handed back the notebook to the stunned Kaiba. Kaiba looked at the perfect solutions Bakura had just scribbled for him. He gaped at them. He'd been working with this equation for two whole weeks and now this British boy solved it right under his nose in less than ten minutes.

"How did you—?" Kaiba gaped as he met Bakura's smiling face.

"Oh, it's really very simple." Bakura explained. "It's just the same simple arithmetic underlying mathematics, and the equations weren't really that complicated. You couldn't solve it because impatience got to your head first."

Kaiba's frown appeared on his face again, but this time it was accompanied with a rosy blush of shame. He was the creator of the powerful KDC, but Bakura—whom he considered as an insignificant weakling, solved his toughest equation like magic. 

"If you're expecting me to thank you, forget it." Kaiba snapped irritably.

Bakura looked like a little boy as he bit his lower lip. "Can I see that?"

"What?" Kaiba snarled.

"That." said Bakura, pointing at the KDC. "If you can't directly say thank you, letting me see that will make up for my help."

Kaiba felt a twinge of annoyance. First this Bakura had insulted him so bad by solving the equation and proving himself wiser—and now he wants to hold the KDC? But he had no choice, though. If Bakura hadn't intervened then he might've had a longer time to work on the dratted variables. 

"Suit yourself." Kaiba said gruffly as he thrust the KDC into Bakura's slender hand.

Bakura twirled the KDC in his hand, his cold brown eyes surveying the plaything intensely. Kaiba was watching closely. Bakura felt an irresistible urge—an urge he'd known so long ago…3,000 years back in ancient Egypt, where pharaohs reigned eternal. He had never wanted anything so much like this…

"Give it back." Kaiba's gruff voice broke his trance. "I don't like the look you're giving it."

Bakura jerked his gaze from the KDC's surface with great effort. "Sorry…it's beautiful…I've never seen…awesome…"

He handed back the cube reluctantly. He was threatened to be overcome by that urge again.

"Of course it is." Kaiba said as he stuffed the KDC back into his padded briefcase. "My products are only of the highest quality."

"What does it do, that cube?" Bakura asked innocently.

"It literally brings Duel Monsters, Traps and Magic cards to life." Kaiba explained with pride. "Now playing the game can be done anywhere—on air, on land—even under the sea if you like. That's all possible with the KDC."

"You mean, you can use the monsters actually? In real life?"

"Command them—make them do your bidding—all of that, yes. But I shall have to consider many things before mass producing this. Owning a KDC requires an overwhelming responsibility for your actions. It is meant to revolutionize the Duel Monsters game, but as to that, it can also be used as a weapon for destruction. I wouldn't want my products causing mayhem."

Bakura nodded to show he understood. "I see, well, thank you for letting me see it, Kaiba."

He returned to his seat, and Kaiba started to work on legal papers.

Yami walked down the corridors in a listless way, Yugi's books in his right arm. His face was still slack, his eyes slightly unfocused. Other students avoided him because he tottered as he walked, much like a drunken man on the street. Inside his mind his hikari was shouting at him, but he didn't give a damn.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LANDED ME IN _DETENTION_!" Yugi yelled, his voice bouncing oddly at the back of Yami's head. "I, Yugi Mutou, had never—_never_ been on detention before! What did you think you were doing in Mr. Asahiko's class? Why did you throw that blackboard eraser at his face?! FOR RA'S SAKE, ANSWER ME, YAMI!"

"Your teacher reminded me of an old mentor from Egypt." Yami answered, literally talking to himself as he walked, causing many students to stare at him in a puzzled way. "That mentor used to bang me up in pots and seal me there for days. I was so angry with him I asked for his head. Now your teacher looked exactly like him and my hand lost control."

"Oh, right, your _hand lost control_!" Yugi said sarcastically. "And just how stupid do you think I am? I may be small, Yami, but I have brains—"

"SHUT UP!" Yami shouted so loudly that even teachers stared at him.

The principal, Ms. Suzuki, approached him. "Mr. Yugi Mutou, I cannot have students shouting at the corridor, much less talk to themselves as if they are mad! I order you to stop this—ridiculous behavior right now! Are you listening to me, young man?"

Yami blinked up at the principal. "Bow down before your pharaoh, woman."

"Oh, damn, this will be _bigger_ trouble!" Yugi winced as he hid himself in his soul room.

"What did you say to me, Yugi Mutou?" Ms. Suzuki said in her most dangerous voice.

Yami blinked sleepily again. "Deaf, aren't you, you twitchy little scarab beetle?"

There was a loud yelp as Ms. Suzuki grabbed Yami by the ear. Many students were watching now. 

"I will not have students talking to me like that, Mr. Mutou!" Ms. Suzuki shrieked. "I don't care how much your grandfather worries about you, but you shall stay the whole night in this school and scrub all the toilets with your bare hands, do you hear me? NOW GET TO YOUR CLASS!"

"Fine then," said Yami as he walked dreamily away, scratching his head absent-mindedly. "I don't give a damn. You want me to clean the toilets…then I will clean them! Ch, who does she think she's scaring anyway…?"

The other students of Domino High exchanged mystified looks as they watched Yami go to Chemistry class.

"Yugi Mutou's gone mad, hasn't he?" said one first-year girl.

"You're in detention?!" Joey Wheeler repeated incredulously that afternoon in the canteen, when the classes were finally over. "You've landed yourself in detention? Are you crazy? What happened to the Mr.-Clean-Record-Act?"

Yugi scowled heavily as he fiddled with his pen. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have let Yami take over my body earlier. I didn't know what would happen, he asked if he could have some fresh air. You know how weird he's been acting lately—so I agreed—but then he ran amok and whammed an eraser straight into Asahiko's face…"

Joey burst out laughing. "Yami _threw an eraser into a teacher's face_?!"

"He ran amok, I told you!" Yugi grumbled. "He also insulted Ms. Suzuki right at her face and now we've got to stay here all night and scrub every single toilet with our bare hands!"

"Who would clean all of the toilets in Domino High?" somebody spoke.

Joey and Yugi looked up to see Téa and Tristan joining their table. The two sat down. Téa looked like her usual cheery self while Tristan folded his arms on the table and pillowed his head on them, looking very weary.

"What's the matter, Tristan?" Joey asked. "History teacher's loaded you again?"

"You bet." Tristan replied shortly. "A five-page essay on the French Revolution, to be handed in _tomorrow_. Do I look like I can do all that with all of my other assignments?"

"Ha!" said Joey. "_I_ haven't got a single load to do at home!"

Tristan grumbled again. Téa looked at Yugi. "You haven't answered my question yet. Who will be cleaning the toilets?"

"Yami. Or more specifically, I will." Yugi answered forlornly.

Even Tristan looked up. "You _what_?"

"Don't ask." Yugi said curtly. "Ah, look—"

Ms. Suzuki was approaching their table, sinister look on her evil face. She stopped before Yugi in a matter-of-factly way, staring down at him with intense dislike. Yugi managed to give her a wan smile, hoping that it would ease his punishment even for a bit.

"Don't you dare _simper_ on me, rude boy!" Ms. Suzuki barked. "If you think your teeny-weeny trick can ease your sentence, guess again! Now stand up and start cleaning!"

At this, Yugi went to his soul room, putting the reluctant Yami in control. The ex-pharaoh winced as the principal thrust a mop, a dirty rag, a bristly brush and pail in his hands. Ms. Suzuki walked away, leaving a stony silence behind her.

"I cannot believe this!" said Yami, outraged. "I am pharaoh of Egypt! How dare that woman command me to clean the—the—the toilet!"

Téa laughed. "Too bad, pharaoh. This is how our life is."

And Yami stalked toward the nearest CR, cursing under his breath. Joey, Téa and Tristan all laughed together.

The Kaiba Manor was easily the grandest and biggest house in all of Domino City. It had large lawns flanked with lush gardens, fancy fountains and sculptures and armed with the latest security system. The main house itself was splendor defined—it was the product of combined Italian and French architecture, a most breath-taking view. 

Superb lighting around the Kaiba Manor intensified the mansion's beauty, making it look like a fantasy castle beneath the night sky. It was a nice house that many would die for, but for Mokuba, it was still far from being home.

"Where's brother?" Mokuba asked timidly as the maids and butler served him his usual solitary dinner. "Is he even home yet?"

"Master Seto is currently in his laboratory, finishing the KDC." The butler replied promptly. "He says he cannot dine with you tonight, Master Mokuba."

Mokuba sighed and poked his fettuccini lazily. "Oh yeah, I understand that. He never had any time for me left ever since he started that stupid Duel Cube…"

The maids and butler exchanged unsure glances. Mokuba grumbled again and started to eat.

Meanwhile, in his laboratory, Kaiba was putting the final touches to the KDC, the notebook where Bakura solved the equation sitting open at his desk. Every now and then Kaiba would return his gaze to the notebook and make some tweaking and twisting at the cube. It was nearly completed, only the last screw to be returned to its place.

"One more…" Kaiba muttered, wiping the sweat out of his eyes. "Just this one last screw…"

Kaiba nearly jumped when he heard a thud from the ceiling. He looked up at his laboratory's lights, which were quivering slightly. Quickly he abandoned the KDC and proceeded to his security monitors. He touched a few keys on the keyboard, and the monitor displayed over a hundred views from different angles of the manor.

"What was that?" Kaiba wondered as he returned to his KDC. "Must have been a cat or something…"

Then he was immersed in his job again.

Bakura cursed himself silently for being clumsy. He lay low for a few minutes against Kaiba manor's exquisite roof, waiting for the pain in his back to subside a little before he could go on. After waiting for five minutes he straightened up again, moving silently and discreetly like a spider.

What the hell was Bakura doing here? Of course, to steal the KDC, which he found would be very useful once he attacks the pharaoh and claims the Millenium Puzzle. If Kaiba had committed one lethal flaw, it was allowing him to see the KDC and touch it.

"Diversionary tactics number one." Bakura whispered as he spotted the nearest security camera. "Destroy all _eyes_."

He reached up and touched the Millenium Ring. It glowed a bright shade of gold, and a second later, every single camera in the manor was disabled like magic. Finally, with the manor's first line of defenses destroyed, Bakura stood up straight on the roof, ominously lit by the moonlight.

"Diversionary tactics number two," Bakura sneered. "Get _everyone_ out of the way."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*grins evilly*…hee hee hee hee hee! The show starts here! Please review!!!


	5. The Scream

Author's Notes:

Thanks to all those readers who have been constantly supporting and reviewing this fic. You know who you guys are, there is just too many of you to be named specifically. But hear this, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

This is **MY** fic. Therefore, I am free to call everyone by any name I choose to call them with, and you've got nothing to do with that. (This goes to that particular insufferable _know-it-all_.)

The usual: I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!

And last, on to the story. Enjoy!

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter

Chapter 5: The_ Scream_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryou slammed down onto the very same highway where he died with such great force that it was a miracle the road was unscathed. But then, Ryou was just a soul now, so he couldn't really do real damages…

"My head hurts…" Ryou moaned as he stood up groggily, clutching his head. "Shooting down from Paradise faster than the speed of light is no mean feat…ouch…"

Suddenly, two giant lights greeted Ryou's eyes, automatically filling his head. Next came the loud screech of rubber tires on the street. Ryou stood stock-still as a gray BMW roadster passed right through his body. He blinked.

He spun around and looked after the car. "What the—?"

__

That was fast, he thought. _If I'd been alive, I surely would've been killed_. Ryou felt a painful pang erupt from his chest. Somehow the word _alive_ made him want to cry until he had no more tears to shed. He looked down at his hands. They have become more transparent, and the gentle light surrounding his fingers seemed to have decreased in brightness as well.

Ryou felt weaker than when he was _up there_. Was it because of his journey back to earth?

He turned his white head to the towering buildings of Domino High. Ryou felt an unexplainable pain—some sort of irreparable and gaping hole in his heart, if he still had one, that is. Looking at Domino High from the dark, abandoned street as a spirit was just—so _painful_. Ryou knew he was just being touchy about being dead, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to die in the first place. He didn't even know he was going to die that day…

"Nobody's here anymore…" Ryou said wistfully as he stared at his old school. "Maybe—maybe I should have just gone to the Game Shop…"

He made to fly to where Yugi's house was, but then he sensed something from the empty school campus. Ryou paused in mid-float, a slight frown on the deathly resemblance of his angelic face. 

It was coming from one of the CRs in the Math building. Ryou could feel it emanating, such a powerful life force, full of the strenght and vigor of youth. He could feel this life washing over him, giving him warmth and caressing what used to be his face and hands. 

Somebody was still lingering in Domino High. Was it a student?

Quickly, Ryou knew he had no time to lose. He could feel himself weakening little by little, what little life that remained in him was slowly ebbing away. He started feeling this jerky sensation somewhere beneath his chest ever since he'd come back. 

He willed himself to the air and soared toward the school, hoping against hope that whoever was there could help him. He had to tell Yugi, Téa, Tristan, Joey and Marik what happened to him. He needed their help more than anything else now, because this help was suddenly the most important thing for him in the whole cosmos.

"Please let it be help," Ryou prayed as he passed through the school's walls. "Please let it be someone who would understand. Please…"

Yami moaned painfully as he sat down on the tiled floor of the last CR he was cleaning. The ex-pharaoh leaned against a cubicle wall, sitting just beside the sparkling red American Standard toilet. His eyes were closed, and rivulets of sweat were flowing freely at his temples. He was dead tired.

"I haven't done…anything like this…my whole life…" Yami groaned as he waited for the throbbing pain in his torso to subside. "Pharaoh of Egypt…cleaning toilet…utterly stupid…I'm dead…"

Yugi's voice came echoing in his head. "Now, now, your back's aching isn't it? Well I hope that has taught you how to shut up properly, my other self."

"Ah, shut up, don't start with me." Yami snapped. It was good he was the only one remaining in the whole school. "I'm dead tired and I'm in a bad mood, you don't know what I can do to you when I'm in this state!"

Yugi didn't reply to this. This was true, after all. When Yami was maddened by grief, anger or weariness it was best to keep away from him. Or else.

"Come on, Yami, just three more toilets away from a soft mattress bed and a cup of hot chocolate!" Yugi said invitingly.

"At least let me regain some of my energy, I'm totally drained." Yami answered as he remained where he was, still not opening his eyes. "Then I can continue…"

Then a gentle silence fell between them, Yami and Yugi.

"Hey, Yami…" Yugi began.

Yami opened one eye. "Yup?"

"Why did you just go to sleep like that, without even telling me the reason why?" Yugi asked without any real conviction. "You had me worried, I thought you'd shrunk back to the Realm again."

Yami sighed, a slight crease appearing between his brows. "I just wanted to…well, ponder about my death. I was thinking how the Puzzle suddenly sucked me up, leaving my body there, took my priests days to find…then I dozed off without knowing. Overslept, me. But it was a peaceful sleep, one with no nightmares. I haven't had any sleeps like this for centuries and centuries, it was refreshing. It was like I was…well, back in Egypt again."

"That's why it took you so long to wake?"

"Yeah, well…I couldn't help it. Nobody can."

"I understand perfectly. But next time before you go dozing again, please at least leave me word."

"Count on it."

Finally, Yami did regain some energy. He stood up and grabbed the brush from the floor, ready for the last three scrubbing. My, his body already ached for the comfort of a warm bed…

"Yami, I think you should do the mirrors first, you haven't touched them yet…"

Yami looked at the five panels of mirror to his left. True, he hadn't cleaned them yet. "Well, okay then."

He reached for the rag and soaked it into the soapy solution in one of the pails. He was humming as he wiped the bubbly cleaner onto the smooth glass, enjoying the flowery scent from it. The pharaoh cleaned with renewed energy, the thought of the much-coveted bed sustaining him.

__

Yami…

He gave a start. "'Sup, Yugi? What do you want?"

"Huh?" came the reply. "I wasn't calling you."

A frown appeared on Yami's face. He blinked. "Then…who?"

"Are you sure you aren't sleepy again?" Yugi inquired.

Yami took a step from the mirror he was cleaning with soap. He looked hard at the bubbles, but they were too thick to allow him to see his reflection. He bent down, eyes still at the mirror, and reached for a spray bottle of water on the floor.

"Yami! Don't act stupid, for Horus's sake!"

"Shut up!"

Yami reached up and aimed the spray bottle at the mirror. He started by giving little, tentative squirts at first, which got stronger, clearing away greater chunks of soap and bubble from the surface. 

__

Yami…

Yami froze. "Did you hear that? An echoey voice…it's so creepy…"

"Stop it!" Yugi snapped. "You're scaring me!"

The rag in Yami's hand came in contact with the mirror and wiped it dry. The pharaoh stared hard at his bewildered expression on the glass surface, which to his horror, began to change.

"Holy shit—?!"

The reflection gave way to a particular, angel-faced and white-haired boy. What made the reflection so scary was that it looked so dead—so pale and awful to behold. Yami felt one hundred percent pure terror shoot in his body as the image of Ryou Bakura in the mirror opened its eyes and emerged from it, ghastly hands outstretched toward him.

__

Yami, help me…help me come back…tell them…help me…come back…

Then both Yami and Yugi did the thing that seemed reasonable at the moment.

"GGGYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The glass pane broke into millions of tiny shards.

Seto Kaiba reeled backward, right hand tightly clamped across his nose and mouth. The thick cloud of purple smoke that seeped throughout the Kaiba manor had finally broken through his lab's defenses, the strong drugged scent overpowering his senses, making him dizzy, making his knees shake—.

He couldn't stand it—the drugged scent was too powerful, clouding his mind, snaring his senses—!

With his blurring vision, Kaiba staggered toward his worktable and grabbed the KDC, stuffing it into his right breast pocket. Then he pivoted and burst out of the laboratory and out to the empty hallway.

"Damn—!"

The thick, purple cloud was all over the manor. Kaiba ran toward the dining room, right hand still clamped across his face. Mokuba had to be alive, goddamn it, Mokuba had better be alive!

__

Who could have done this, Kaiba thought frantically as he dashed down the grand staircase. _Nobody could have penetrated my security system that easy, let alone release this drugged cloud in my house!_

"MOKUBA!"

He burst into the dining room. He had a brief glimpse of all the maids, butlers and Mokuba lying unconscious on the floor before a booted foot came out of nowhere and slammed into his face with such force.

Kaiba fell backward to the floor, taking in a considerable amount of the drugged cloud into his body. He blinked up at the black clad young man standing above him, looking down at him with soulful brown eyes that seemed vaguely familiar. The thief was wearing a black face mask so that only his eyes showed. He was also wearing a full-body suit that fitted him perfectly, showing the contours of his shoulders and chest. 

"Who are you?" Kaiba gasped through the violet cloud. "I'll have you for this!"

The culprit frowned and answered him with the strongest punch he had ever encountered. Drops of red blood flowed from his nose and busted lip. Kaiba crashed into the dining room's walls, shattering a pot as he went.

But that wasn't over, though. The culprit spun around and slammed his booted foot into Kaiba's face again in a spectacular roundhouse.

"What do you want—?" Kaiba gasped again. He wished he could fight back, but the drugged cloud had weakened him too much already. "What—?"

The masked culprit pointed at his breast pocket. Kaiba knew now.

"Never!" he gasped, his lungs struggling to find oxygen. "I won't—give it—to you!"

The soulful brown eyes narrowed into angry slits. Kaiba sputtered as the culprit picked him up by the neck with one hand, his feet dangling five inches from the floor. His blue eyes widened with fear as he struggled against the lethal grip around his neck.

A gloved hand reached up and went into his pocket. Kaiba could feel nimble fingers against his chest. He sensed it close in on the KDC. After that he was thrown again, this time slamming into the long table, sending dishes flying in all directions.

Kaiba felt consciousness leaving him. There was pain, then, quickly, it was gone. The blackness swallowed him without effort at all.

The thief escaped like a phantom, his dark form visible only for a moment as he fled on the roofs. The Kaiba manor was silent as a graveyard.

Bakura arrived at the equally silent mansion that was Ryou's home. He'd slipped through one of the many stained glass windows and found himself in Ryou's fantastic Victorian bedroom, complete with the purple iMac PC, bags, clothes and magnificent four-poster with the white linen hangings.

He stood at the middle of the room and took off the facemask, allowing his waist-length snow-white hair to fall gracefully around his angelic face. He strode toward the four-poster bed and pulled back the hangings haphazardly before collapsing onto the soft cushion and staying there for a few minutes in silence.

Then he opened his brown eyes and took the KDC out of his pocket, surveying it between his gloved fingers.

"Plan A accomplished." He said. "Now ready to proceed to Plan B. Get ready, Pharaoh Nefer Atemu of the Royal House of Amenhotep. Get ready to feel the same pain you made me feel."

Bakura turned on his side and faced the four-poster's ceiling. A smug smile curled on his lips before his eyes closed…and he drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whooo! Sorry it took me a long time to put this out…we were busy with our Electronics subject, an I'm telling you that it **SUCKS**. Totally. So please leave a REVIEW!!! Thanks!


	6. The Phone Call

Author's notes:

Err, none, just my wholehearted thanks and that I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter

Chapter 6: _The Phone Call_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Téa was worried as she put down the day's issue of _Domino Herald_. The headline was very disturbing, great capitalized words printed in angry red: **THEFT IN KAIBA MANOR, CULPRIT UNKNOWN**. She breathed deeply and threw an anxious gaze at Yugi's empty desk. Then her gaze shifted to the room's clock, which was hung above the blackboards.

__

7:30…thirty more minutes before the first subject…

Yugi was rarely absent from class. And he was _never_ late. In fact, he was one of Domino High's most punctual students, arriving early at school at 6 in the morning. Téa returned her eyes to the newspaper after stealing a glance at Seto's empty desk.

__

Seto Kaiba, rich and young magnate of Kaiba Corp., was found incapacitated in his own manor house last night…medical experts say Kaiba, with younger brother Mokuba and all staff of the house was drugged…theft escaped with an object yet to be named by Kaiba…police searching desperately…

"Drugged…" Téa whispered thoughtfully, frowning. "But what kind of drug could possibly do that? And Kaiba manor is guarded heavily like Alcatraz itself…"

The teacher entered the classroom, and the students greeted in dull, monotonous voices. The class started, and whether she liked it or not, Téa had to put away the newspaper and listen to the discussion.

It turned out that the school buzzed with the news of theft in Kaiba Manor. There was not one corner where you would find students huddled in it, discussing the event in hushed voices and rounded eyes. 

Téa did not need to go to Joey and Tristan, because when she emerged from her class the two boys were already waiting for her outside. Judging by the astonished looks on their faces, she concluded that they too, found the theft preposterous. The three of them headed to the canteen, chattering away like everybody else.

"It's impossible!" Joey said dismissively, shaking his head. "Nobody can do that! Not in Kaiba Manor!"

"But they already _did_, right?" Tristan snapped. "It's already on the news!"

"The question is _who actually did the theft_!" Téa said, making a slight gesture. "No normal person can penetrate Kaiba's house as easily as that, we know that every inch of that mansion is studded with hidden cameras and lasers! Disabling all those stuff will require _years_ of planning!"

The canteen was packed. Both junior high and high school students had the same time for break every Thursday. The three of them spent a good five minutes to find a table at the farthest corner of the canteen. After leaving their bags at the chairs, Téa, Joey and Tristan went to order some burgers and drinks.

"Where's Yugi? Did you see him?" Joey asked as he asked for some coleslaw. "What did he make out of this event?"

Téa shook her head. "He's absent."

Tristan and Joey looked at her then both exclaimed, "Now you're talking!"

"I'm not kidding." Téa answered heavily as they headed back to their table, their trays laden with snacks. "I haven't seen hide nor hair of Yugi. I wonder what's wrong—"

She froze in mid-sentence. Bakura smiled up at them meekly from their table. He was reading the newspaper. Tristan, Joey and Téa did not know what to do; they stood there, staring at him as if he were a ghost.

"You don't mind, right?" Bakura said in Ryou's meek voice. "They wouldn't let me sit anywhere—"

"No, sure, we're all friends." said Téa, sitting down beside Bakura. "Those arrogant berks haven't stopped bullying you, huh? Never mind, you can always sit with us. So we see you've already read the news."

Joey and Tristan took their own seats, but looked utterly uncomfortable in doing so.

"That's terrible…" Bakura shook his head. "I mean, who would—?"

Joey and Tristan exchanged doubtful glances. Téa saw them, and from underneath the table, kicked them hard by the legs.

"Ouch!"

"Hey!"

Bakura looked up, blinking innocently at them. "What?"

"No, nothing, don't mind them Ryou." Téa said with a glare. She turned to him with great effort. "So—uhm, what did those bullies did to you again—?"

Bakura didn't speak for a while as he peeled off his sandwich's paper wrapper. He took a small bite and chewed as if his teeth ached. Joey felt his doubt ebbing away in spite of himself. Bakura looked so miserable with his drooping shoulders and limp hair.

"Come on, dude, tell us." Tristan whispered sympathetically.

"Oh, it's just the same routine, really." Bakura tried to smile bravely. "Told me the usual things. _You have a fishy accent so get lost, London boy…_then _try dunking your head in a lake, that might change your silly accent for you_…and then again with _get lost, loser, this is no place for freaks like you_. I'm used to it, really…it's just…sometimes it gets too much…"

"Never mind them, Ryou!" Joey burst out, spraying everyone with coleslaw. "So what? Those bullies might have larger bulks, but their brains aren't enough to fill an eggcup! You, on the other hand, might be smaller and talk _weird_, but you have much more brains than they do! They're just idiots!"

"Thanks, Joey…" Bakura smiled.

"No use blabbering about bullies." Tristan changed the topic. "Anyway, do you want to come with us? We're visiting Yugi after classes…he hasn't showed up today, you know."

Bakura was suddenly interested. "Really? Do you think it's because of all the toilets he cleaned? Maybe he woke up late or—"

"No." Téa frowned as she sipped her strawberry shake. "No matter how late he sleeps, Yugi will always wake at five thirty in the morning."

No answer. The four of them ate in silence, where the newspaper exchanged hands.

"Okay, I'll see Yugi, yeah?" Bakura replied finally as he crumpled the sandwich wrapper. "Later? Meet at the guardhouse, then?"

"I see we're all settled." Tristan shrugged.

Five minutes later and they parted ways. Tristan went to History, Joey to Trigonometry, Téa to Home Economics and Bakura to Physics. As he walked to his next class, Bakura was chuckling devilishly to himself.

"Lenient brats…" he laughed darkly. "Stupid enough to fall to my tricks! Ha! This will make everything easier then—the _fools_, honestly…ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

TRRRIIINNNNNNGGGG!

"Marik, answer the phone!" Isis's voice floated from the kitchen. "I'm busy here!"

TRRRIIINNNNNNGGGG!

"Marik, come on, answer it!" Isis yelled. "The phone is just five inches from where you are!"

TRRRIIINNNNNNGGGG!

"MARIK!"

A low grunt came from the living room, but it was drowned out by the blaring of Linkin Park's _Nobody's Listening_ song. Marik shifted on the red taffeta couch, tearing his gaze away from his book, _The Prince_ by Machiavelli. He blinked his violet eyes impatiently and lifted the handset from the receiver.

"Ishtar residence. Marik speaking, what do you want?" he asked lazily.

"Marik…"

Marik felt his body's hairs curl in terror. He recognized that voice. It was the voice of Nefer Atemu, or more commonly known as Yami Yugi. He quickly removed the handset from his ear, staring at it as if it might explode any moment now.

"Marik, please…" came Yami's voice. "Please, listen to me."

The pharaoh's voice sound distressed, as if he hadn't slept for weeks. Marik gripped the handset very hard he could have cracked it between his fingers. He put it back to his ear.

"What?" he grunted.

"I…" Yami began, but he hesitated. "I…uh…I _need_ your help."

Marik was stunned. "What? _You need my help_? Have you forgotten that we're enemies?!"

Yami did not answer for a while. Marik heard him sigh, as if this phone conversation alone was costing him every little ounce of his insufferably high pride.

"_Please_," said Yami. "I am badly in need of the Rod's power."

Marik's shock increased exponentially. The pharaoh was actually _begging_ for his help!

"What do you want to use my Millenium Rod for?" Marik inquired as he reached for some popcorn on the tea table. "Your Millenium Puzzle is the most powerful Artifact!"

He heard a care-worn sigh from the other end of the line. Marik was finding this phone call very weird and intriguing. 

"I can't use my Puzzle." Yami replied dully. "It's—well—I _can't_. I just can't, and don't ask silly questions! Will you help me or not?"

"Whoa, hold your chariots, pharaoh, you're the one asking for favor here!" Marik spat back. "I wouldn't have you raising tones with me, Puzzle boy! What if I don't want to help you, huh? Come to think of it, _why should I even bother to help you_? Kiss my ass!"

Yami's voice hardened. "Oh, _very well_."

He hung up the phone. Marik stared at it again for five minutes before returning it to the receiver.

"Weird…" he mumbled as he lay back down on the couch.

"What did he say?" Ryou asked hopefully. "What did he say?"

Yami was frowning very badly, and that was enough for Ryou. The ghost hovered some 30 inches from Yami's bed and crossed his legs. Yami wasn't even looking at him.

"I'm sorry, Yami…" Ryou whispered apologetically. "It's just—"

"Never mind, I'll think of a way." Yami said wearily as he buried himself into Yugi's pillows. He reached for a thermometer and put it into his mouth.

Ryou smiled gratefully. "Thank you…"

No answer.

"Grandfather thought I had gone mad." Yami explained through the thermometer. "You know, I ran all the way home barefooted, screaming _ghost, ghost!_ And Yugi won't come out; he's still very scared. Right now he's still whimpering in his soul room…"

Ryou hung his head in shame before looking around at Yugi's room. It was very dark, because Yami had pulled all the curtains out. Yugi's games, cards and things were scattered everywhere. An empty tray of mushroom soup was on the floor, beside the foot of the bed.

He returned his deadened gaze to Yami, whose eyes were still closed. Ryou floated forward and touched his friend's forehead lightly, careful not to push his hand into Yami's head. He felt Yami give a shudder. He withdrew his hand.

"Your fever is bad…" Ryou said concernedly. "Do you want me to get you some paracetamol or something?"

"I got this fever because of fatigue." Yami replied, then added. "And partly because of you too."

"I'm sorry…"

Yami waved his right hand impatiently before taking the thermometer out of his mouth. He squinted to see his temperature: 39_ degrees Celsius_. He sighed heavily and sat up, looking up at Ryou's pearly and transparent form.

"You know, when I first heard your story I really thought I was going mad." Yami told him. "But then, when I really think about it, it does make sense. The Millenium Ring somehow found a way to make sure that that truck went out of control and ram into you. It kept that shit alive with your body. Now it makes sense, the fast recovery and all."

"If ever I go back, I'll really discard that cursed Ring." Ryou said spitefully, clenching his ghostly fists. "I've had enough of it!"

Yami scratched his nose thoughtfully. "You can dump the Millenium Ring into a trash bin, but as long as it recognizes your body as its primary host it will always come back to you. When an Artifact chooses an owner, it goes with it until the owner dies."

"Or in your case, reborn into someone else's body?" Ryou added.

"Yes, and—"

The bedroom door burst open, and light burst into it, penetrating the darkness. Party crackers popped suddenly, adding colorful ribbons and confetti to the bedroom mess. Joey, Tristan, Téa and Bakura jumped into Yugi's room.

"SURPRISE! GET WELL SOON!" the four yelled cheerfully.

Yami immediately nodded to Ryou, who quickly vanished into thin air. Joey, Tristan, Téa and Bakura did not see him. 

"How was toilet cleaning, huh?" Joey roared as he switched on the lights. 

"Here you go, Yugi." Bakura said as he placed a chocolate cake onto Yami's lap. It had the message _get well soon_ written on the chocolatey surface with green icing.

"So how are you doing?" Téa inquired as she sat down at the foot of the bed. "Bet you thought we'd forgot about you, huh?"

Yami was staring at the cake on his lap. He looked at Bakura, who smiled innocently. It struck him how the Tomb Robber could act so well, to make his other friends believe he was Ryou. He returned his gaze to the cake and swallowed nervously. _What if it was poisoned_?

"Your grandfather was worried about you." Tristan said thoughtfully. "He told us you came running home last night without your shoes and shrieking your head out about a ghost. What was that about?"

"Erm, it was nothing." Yami answered shortly as he put the cake away hastily. "And I can't eat cake, I'm burning here."

"Well then, save it for later!" Bakura interjected cheerfully.

Yami gazed at him, then swallowed nervously again. He then looked at Tristan, Joey and Téa.

"I'm really sorry, guys, but I'm afraid I'm too sick to admit visitors today." He said. "You might find me boring—"

"Not at all!" said Téa.

"Yugi old dude, what a rude thing to say!" Tristan added.

"Come on, we just want to be with you." Bakura pressed.

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Joey protested.

At the same time, Sugoroku Mutou entered the room with another tray of drinks. He smiled at his grandson and his grandson's friends. Yami grabbed his chance.

"They won't be staying for drinks, grandpa, they're leaving, actually." He said firmly. "Please show them the way out. Now."

A stunned silence greeted this statement. Sugoroku blinked. 

"Well, if you say so, Yugi…"

Téa, Tristan, Joey and Bakura all looked at him. Yami dropped his eyes and refused to look at them. Then they started to leave. Joey and Téa threw Yami disbelieving looks as they were ushered out. Yami listened for their footsteps going down the stairs and finally out of the Game House before whispering for Ryou.

Ryou reappeared. He'd closed the door and turned the lights off again, plunging them into darkness once more.

"I thought I had it…" Ryou said fearfully. "I could feel the Ring looking for me. Somehow it knows I'm _here_."

"Never mind, the Tomb Robber did not sense you." Yami replied.

"Are you sure this is all right, Yami?"

"What?"

"Sending them out like that, I mean, I saw the look on Téa's face…"

Yami pulled the blankets to his chin. "Leave them. They will know about it when the time comes. For now, we've to plan."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please leave a review! Thanks! 


	7. The Mistake

Author's Note:

The usual. Do I need to say it still?

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter

Chapter 7: _The Mistake_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been five days since his descent.

And now, he is suffering the consequences of not listening to the saint.

Ryou was floating in midair, coiled like a baby in his mother's womb. His whole being was siezed with pain, causing him to pulsate an odd warning light. He had weakened greatly. Just last night, hoping to surprise Yugi by passing through walls, he discovered he was no longer capable of performing the feat. 

His hands, if possible, had gone more transparent. Ryou knew his time was slipping out of control. He had to get his body back or else disappear forever as if he had never existed at all. The light of the spirits was fast leaving him too…

Domino High was in commotion today. Today the top ten students of each year level for the previous grading period was going to be posted in the main bulletin board. Many were anxious, but a few of the students were excited. 

But Téa, Yugi and Joey did not care to join the thick crowd clamoring against the boards. The three were currently in their classrooms, with Téa and Joey dueling before Yugi, who watched the match lazily. As usual, Joey was on the losing side.

"AARGGH! I give up!" Joey whined as he threw his hands in the air.

Téa rolled her eyes. "All right then. Now you owe me 500 yen."

Joey took out his purse and began counting his money. His face went the slight shade of blue. "Uh-oh…"

Téa sneered at him. "Bankrupt, aren't we? If you can't pay me now that will be 1000 yen by tomorrow."

"Unfair!" Joey protested. "Why'd it jump like _that_?!?"

"Téa's only following the rules of your game, Joey." Yugi answered timidly. "You said that the loser will have to pay, but if he can't pay the due to the winner today it will double the next day, then the next day, and so on and so forth…"

Téa nodded. "He's right, so pay up now."

Joey stepped back, shaking his head. "Well—I'd, uh—I'd—!"

But he was spared from answering by Tristan, who returned from seeing the top ten students. Tristan was wearing that _gigantic look of disbelief_ as he bounded into the room, his eyes wide. But he was grinning so broadly. 

"Well? Who won the jackpot?" Yugi asked.

Tristan swallowed. "You wouldn't believe it! Seto Kaiba has been _dethroned_!"

"_WHAT_?!?" Joey, Yugi and Téa burst out altogether.

Tristan looked like he was lost for words. Joey grabbed his shoulders.

"Come on, dude, speak up!" he said. "I'd like to know who ousted that _arrogant brat_, and congratulate him or her for it! Who beat him? Come on, Tristan, spit it out!"

At that moment, Bakura entered the room, backpack hanging from his shoulder. He sat down and immediately took out his books, and started to read. He didn't even look at Joey and the others. Tristan, seeing him, nodded.

"What—? Who—?" said Joey, confused. "What the hell are you nodding for?!?"

Tristan just continued nodding vigorously toward the innocent Bakura. Then comprehension dawned on Yugi and Téa's faces.

"Oh my god!" Téa muttered, a grin spreading on her lips. "I _can't believe it_!"

Then Joey understood too. "NO WAY! There is just _no way_!"

Tristan nodded for the last time. "Yes. Beat Kaiba by five points on the general average. I think it's a first ever since Kaiba entered Domino High. Saw him walking in the corridor, seething with fury. Apparently, nobody has ousted him before."

"ALL RIGHT, RYOU!" Joey hollered. "YOU SHOW HIM!"

Bakura looked up from his history book, slight frown on his face. "Huh?"

But it was too late. Téa, Joey and their classmates had flocked around him, asking him how the hell he managed to beat Kaiba. Soon he disappeared under the thick huddle of admiring students. Tristan did not join, and so did Yugi.

"Barking mad, the whole lot of them." Tristan smiled. "But hey, this _is_ the first time…but it's strange…Ryou doesn't even seem to care that he outsmarted the all-time genius boy of Domino City."

"Because he isn't Ryou." Yugi said in a small but audible voice.

Tristan gave a start and turned to Yugi, but it was already Yami who was sitting beside him. Yami's face was drawn into an ugly frown, and he was looking so venomously at the huddle around Bakura that Tristan went nervous in spite of himself.

"Yugi…what did you say?" he asked.

"Because that boy over there isn't Ryou." Yami answered spitefully. "It's that slinking Tomb Robber! If he thinks he can fool me by using my friend's body he's wrong! Damn him, that bastard—!"

"What are you saying?" Tristan blinked. "Of course that's Ryou—it's him, what on earth is happening to you?"

The venomous gaze transferred to his face. Tristan felt an involuntary shudder run down his spine. "Yugi, old dude, don't look at me like that…you're scaring me…"

The Puzzle glowed briefly and Yugi was back. He avoided Tristan's gaze and returned to his seat, rummaging through his books. Tristan did not understand.

"Yugi, if you want to tell us something, then fire away." He said. "You've been hiding something from us, Yugi, and you were never like this. What is it that's bothering you? How can we help you if you don't even utter a word?"

"I can't tell you." Yugi said hysterically. "I can't tell you, because it's out of my control! This is between that boy over there using Ryou's body and my other self! I've got nothing to do with it! Yami told me to never interfere!"

Tristan wanted to ask what was going on, but the teacher prevented any more words as she entered the classroom. Then the hours started to snail by. Tristan kept trying to catch Yugi's eyes, but the latter was determined not to look at him.

Seirin International School was the school for the elite society. It had the most expensive books, uniforms, facilities, tuition fee—everything in plain sight was just expensive. The students in the school were children of _zaibatsu_, government officials and ambassadors from foreign countries. Luxury and riches were everywhere.

Marik Ishtar was a student of Seirin, in the class of III-2. The teacher was not yet around, so the students were busy showing off to each other. Marik, unlike his classmates, paid some importance on his grades, so instead of admiring the robotic puppy Sayoko bought with her he remained in his seat and worked on his left-out homework.

__

Prove that in any circle, the midpoints of all chords congruent to a given chord form a circle concentric with the given circle and with a radius equal to the distance of any one of the chords from the center.

Marik frowned at the book. "Hell, what theorem am I supposed to use in this…?"

He started to write a rushed two-column proof for the problem. Sayoko, annoyed by Marik's indifference, went to him. She looked down at the problem, her robotic puppy in her arms.

"Hey, Ishtar, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Brushing my teeth." Marik replied sarcastically. "What does this look to you?"

Sayoko bent forward. "Ne, Ishtar, look at my puppy. He likes you…see?"

A vein throbbed on Marik's tanned forehead. He met Sayoko's black eyes with his violet ones. "Sayoko, if you've got nothing to do other than brag about that stupid piece of welded tin cans, then bugger off. I, unlike you, pay importance to my grades, so would you please leave me alone to study?"

Sayoko hurried away, looking deeply insulted. Marik rolled his eyes and continued his work.

Ryou knew Yami would be angry, but he had no choice. They had to act _now_. Ryou was fast disappearing, his body now fuzzy and TV-like. Sometimes his legs and arms would vanish then come back, then vanish again. Time was running out very badly, and they needed the Millenium Rod as quickly as possible.

"I can't fly anymore…" Ryou choked the words out as he slowly made his way toward Domino High on foot. "But…I have to…reach Yugi…reach help…"

His legs disappeared. Ryou stopped dead, concentrating with all his might. _Please, not now, I need to walk, walk to help, please come back, please…_!

His legs returned, but they looked fainter than before. Ryou looked up at the road—he was very near now, as he could already see the rooftops of Domino High's buildings. He walked on, ignoring the people who went through his body as he went. The people would only feel a slight chill where they went through Ryou, but apart from that, they would never know that a ghost was actually on the street, dragging himself to his old school.

"Yami…" Ryou muttered. Even speaking was costing him effort now. "Help…"

The Millenium Ring suddenly blazed to life, it's golden pointers indicating the classroom's windows. Bakura, who was at that time immersed in another stupid test, was shocked. He took the Ring in his left hand, gazing at the warning light it was pulsating at him now.

"What the—?" Bakura said as he raised his hand.

The teacher looked up from his lesson plan and spotted him. "Yes, Ryou-kun?"

"I need to go to the toilet." Bakura replied shortly as he left the classroom.

The corridor was empty. Frowning, he made his way to the nearest window and opened it. The Millenium Ring's pointers turned eastward. Bakura straightened up and followed the lead of his Artifact.

He ran around the school until he reached the eastern wing, which faced the highway. He opened another window and looked out of it. The pointers pointed downward at the streets. Bakura's eyes followed.

And then he saw it.

"The God Anubis sends back this imp from the seven hells!" Bakura exclaimed as he saw Ryou's spirit make it's way into the school campus. "It is impossible! He should have been in oblivion right now!"

Ryou felt it. He sensed the Millenium Ring find him. He stopped dead on his tracks and looked up at the eastern wing of the school building. Fear siezed him from all sides.

His yami was there, looking right into his eyes from one of the windows in the fifth floor. The Millenium Ring's pointers were all locked, pointing toward him. Ryou's mind raced. 

__

Oh god, he found me! Oh god—he saw me!

Summoning some of the spiritual magic left to him, Ryou willed himself to disappear. 

"Ch, so now he wishes to navigate in invisibility!" Bakura cursed. "So if that imp is here, the pharaoh knows as well! He knows who I really am! Damn you, Ryou, I will send you back to hell where you belong!"

Bakura broke into a dash, the Millenium Ring pointing him to the right direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ohh, now this fic is nearing it's end. ^_^ Please leave a review! Thanks!

__


	8. The Disappearance

Author's Notes:

Thanks again to all the reviewers.

I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter

Chapter 8: _The Disappearance_

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Bakura was determined to destroy his hikari forever. The Millenium Ring's pointers were still directing him toward the invisible spirit. He was running around the school, hoping to stop Ryou from reaching the pharaoh. All the year levels had classes, so the corridors were mercifully empty. 

"Damn hikari!" Bakura cursed as he stopped before another split in the corridor. "I shall destroy his spirit now, so he will never come back to thwart my plans again! I must stop him from reaching the pharaoh!"

The Millenium Ring's pointers turned right. Bakura followed the Artifact's lead. The Ring was leading him toward the school warehouse. A diabolical grin spread on Bakura's angelic face. The stupid ghost named Ryou made another fatal mistake by going into the warehouse. My, my, he was clearly getting hopeless.

Bakura stopped before the warehouse's doors. He threw back his head and started to laugh very loudly. It was the kind of laugh that was enough to scare even the bravest person on earth. 

"Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! Getting desperate now, aren't we, _my hikari_?" Bakura guffawed as he placed his hands on the doorknobs. "Do not worry—I shall give you eternal rest! I am sure you will enter the afterlife—you're soft enough for the god Osiris to take pity on you! I can never know—_I_ have never died! Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

He gave the doorknobs a turn. There was a soft click.

Tears were coursing down Ryou's ghostly cheeks as he heard the doors creak open. He looked down on his fading hands, and he couldn't help but sob some more. _Is this my end, finally? Am I going to disappear forever? What about my body? What about my life? Can't I have those things back? Can't I have a second chance to live?_

"Give up this useless struggle, you _disembodied_ spirit!" came Bakura's voice. "Hiding from me is merely delaying your obliteration!"

Ryou closed his eyes. "Oh god, am I finally going to end this way?"

He cursed himself. He knew he should have stuck with Yami's word to stay in the Game House, safe and sound. But he, Ryou, was so stupid enough to not listen. Had he stayed in the Game House like what Yami said, who knows, he could have been returning to his body now. 

__

He had doubted Yami's honorable promise, and now he was suffering the consequences of his own doubt…

Ryou gathered his fading knees to himself. How could he doubt Yami and Yugi like this? Hadn't they even risked destroying a long friendship just for his sake? Hadn't they promised that whatever happened, Marik was going to help? Yami and Yugi only wanted a little more time. Now, with his clumsiness and stupidity, everything was going to end tragically.

Footsteps were coming closer. Ryou's eyes opened, looking blearily at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Yami and Yugi…" he cried softly as Bakura blasted away the boxes that gave him his last protection. "I'm very sorry for all the trouble…I'm very, very sorry…"

"The afterlife awaits you, hikari." Bakura sneered as he extended his right hand forward for an obliterating blast. "_Goodbye_."

Ryou looked up and met the Millenium Ring's power. Soon, he was surrounded with the golden light and then he was floating…far away…away from it all…

__

I'm sorry…

"NOOOOO!" 

Things happened very fast. Yugi had been in the middle of a boring World History class when the Millenium Puzzle glowed and he switched control with Yami. Yami was standing, eyes wide and breathing heavily. The bewildered teacher and his classmates were staring at him in confusion.

"Mr. Yugi Mutou, are you all right?" the teacher asked as he pushed his glasses higher on his nose. "Have you been drifting off again? What has happened to you?"

But Yami could not speak. In his mind, things were repeating itself in a tripled speed. Ryou, coming. The Millenium Ring sensing him here. Then, Bakura going to the warehouse. Ryou crying. Ryou saying sorry for his stupidity. Bakura laughing. Bakura blasting Ryou with pure power. Ryou gone.

Yami gave a great shuddering gasp as the last vision repeated itself in his mind's eye.

__

Ryou gone.

Ryou gone.

Ryou gone.

Ryou gone.

RYOU GONE!

"_Anak-frau-erh-kauht_!" Yami exclaimed in the Ancient Egyptian tongue as he left his class in a hurry. He forgot to close the door.

"MR. YUGI MUTOU! COME BACK HERE!" The teacher yelled as he tried to run after Yami. "MR. MUTOU, YOU ARE CUTTING CLASSES! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

But Yami ignored him and dashed full-speed toward the warehouse. His heart was pumping wildly as he descended on the emergency stairs. Yugi's voice resonated in his head.

__

Hurry! Ryou might still be there! Yugi said. He too, was panic-stricken. _He shouldn't have come! He _**knew**_ he shouldn't have come!_

Yami could not answer his hikari's wails. They burst out of the fire exit in the first floor and ran full-speed toward the main doors. They broke through it too with great haste and made for the warehouse, never taking a stop or second look. 

"Isn't that Yugi?" Joey muttered as he saw his friend's distinct hairstyle as Yami ran toward the warehouse. "What on earth is he doing? He's supposed to be in World History…"

Joey jerked his gaze from the window and cast a furtive glance at their teacher. The fool was still busy writing the steps on how to balance a chemical equation. Joey smiled inwardly and returned his eyes to the window. He saw the hem of Yami's clothes before it disappeared with its owner into the school warehouse. 

"What on earth…?" Joey frowned. "What the hell is going on here?"

"RYOU! RYOU, WHERE ARE YOU!" Yami shouted as he entered the dark warehouse. He looked wildly around for any sign of his friend's ghost. "RYOU, GODDAMN IT, ANSWER ME! WHERE ARE YOU!"

Yami's violet eyes darted everywhere, but all he could see were boxes, unused chairs, broken stools, piles of dusty papers and bundles of outdated books. Swallowing, Yami went deeper into the warehouse in spite of his instincts going haywire.

"Damn…" he whispered hysterically. "Damn, Ryou, where are you? This is not a good joke!"

"Yugi, over here…"

Yami nearly jumped out of his skin in fright. He whipped around. "Ryou, I was worried, what on earth were you thinking—!"

He stopped in mid-sentence as Bakura emerged from the shadows, arms folded across his chest. Yami felt himself retreat. A drop of cold sweat fell from his chin. 

"Tomb Robber!" he said. "Where is Ryou?!"

Bakura stopped some ten feet away from Yami. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time in Ryou's voice.

"How rude of you! I _am_ Ryou Bakura! Why are you calling me Tomb Robber? I haven't robbed any tombs!"

"GODDAMN YOU, WHERE IS HE!" Yami shouted, his voice echoing ominously in the warehouse's walls.

Bakura tilted his head on one side. The smile on his face went grimmer than ever before.

"He's gone." He replied simply.

Both Yami and Yugi felt themselves reel. Suddenly they couldn't see, feel and hear properly. Bakura, taking advantage of this shock, quickly stepped forward and performed the same roundhouse kick he'd used on Kaiba when he stole the KDC.

There was a loud crash as Yami slammed into the boxes of old school lanterns. The kick had knocked some sense into the pharaoh, but even before he could recover and fight back Bakura had already punched him in the face.

"You know pharaoh, I was still planning how to kill you." Bakura sneered at Yami, who was wiping the blood from his nose and lips. "But then, that blasted ghost interrupted my plans. So I have to do things in advance today, and I do hope you would consent."

Yami's eyes widened as Bakura gave him a strong punch in the abdomen. Blackness was soon stealing over him quickly—he was fainting, and he couldn't do anything about it.

__

Yami! No! Don't fall unconscious! Fight it! NOOOO! Yugi shouted to no avail.

The last thing Yami saw was Bakura's diabolical smile before he surrendered to the grip of unconsciousness.

It's five in the afternoon, and the classes in Domino High were over. Students were piling out of the school building, chattering away with friends. Some were going to chill out first before going home to do their tasks. Some considered the vice versa of this option. But we can be sure that three students were currently worried with things far more important than balancing chemical equations.

"Are you sure with what you saw, Joey?" Téa asked.

"I'm one hundred percent sure!" Joey answered frantically as he tore his hair. "I _saw_ Yugi running into that warehouse—and poof—now he has disappeared!"

"But where could he go?" Tristan inquired. "He can't just leave the campus like that, the guards—"

"I don't care about those stupid guards!" Joey shouted. "It's our friend we're talking about here! Our friend who just _disappeared into thin air_! Do you two realize the situation we're facing?!?"

Tristan and Téa blinked up at him slowly. For some reason, this added to Joey's impatience. 

"AARGGHH! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!?" He shrieked.

"Calm down!" said Téa. "Okay, we _see your point_. Let's go check the warehouse first, okay?"

Tristan led the way into the warehouse. However, there was no trace of Bakura and Yami there. The only things they saw were the remnants of the fight earlier that day: the scattered boxes and other things. They did not see the drops of dried blood on the floor.

"Looks like a tornado went through here." Tristan said as he surveyed the surrounding.

"But where is Yugi?" Téa demanded. "Where—?"

"I smell trouble." Joey spoke suddenly.

Téa and Tristan turned to him. Joey was holding up a piece of Yami's shirt, and it was smeared with blood. 

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0_o; Please review. Thanks. 


	9. The Start of The Search

Author's notes:

I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh

I'm starting a poll here: Would you guys want a SEQUEL for this fic? Please let me know through those precious reviews, m'kay?

On to the story. ^_^

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter

Chapter 9: _The Start of the Search_

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__

Three thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt, in the capital city of Thebes, the people of the kingdom of Kemet have gathered before the spacious courtyard of the Royal Palace. Women, men and children who wore white linen skirts, elaborate collars and black horsehair wigs were all whispering, murmuring…

This was a major execution of who was probably the most infamous criminal in Kemet's history. The criminal committed such heinous crimes that the five Priests and Priestess of Amun-Ra have been summoned to execute him before the pharaoh.

Guards and trumpeters emerged from the palace and lined themselves before the pharaoh's golden throne. The bronze trumpets were raised and their sound filled the city of Thebes. The people fell silent as the priests and priestess emerged with the living-god, the Pharaoh Nefer Atemu.

Nefer Atemu was in his complete royal attire. His violet eyes were lined with dark kohl and a merciless glint could be seen in them. He sat on his throne, the symbolic crook and flail held before him by his bejeweled hands. His Priests and Priestess, keepers of the Millenium Items, stood by his side.

Simon, the Royal Advisor, stepped forward and ordered for the criminal to be brought before the divine god-king. 

Five guards came with a struggling and screaming prisoner between them. The prisoner had white hair, soulful brown eyes and a built body. His skin was dark and covered with scars, and so was his face. The prisoner shot the pharaoh a malevolent look and spat on the ground. There was an instant uproar. The Priests and Priestess started cursing him, and one of the guards hit his head so hard it bled. But the pharaoh remained devoid of emotion, staring at the man before him as if it were an insect he was longing to squash.

The prisoner stood straight and looked around at the people. He was screaming with all his might, telling them all that he will return to exact revenge. They shall pay, he said. They shall pay and no one will escape his wrath.

It was enough for the pharaoh. Nefer Atemu stood up and pointed at the prisoner. His eyes blazed with hate and rage.

"Iheht nu Seth na! IHEHT NU SETH NA!" Nefer Atemu shrieked.

The Priests and Priestess moved from his side. The Millenium Ankh, Millenium Tauk, Millenium Rod, Millenium Scales and the Millenium Eye all gleamed with golden light as the execution began. The prisoner gave one last scream that the people of Kemet did not forget until their dying day. 

When the light of the Millenium Items disappeared, the prisoner was gone. All that remained of him was his red hooded robe and the Millenium Ring.

A week after that execution, Nefer Atemu died. The Millenium Puzzle had suddenly absorbed his soul.

Téa bit her lower lip in frustration. She had been dialing Yugi's number for the nth time now, and it was ringing, but nobody would answer. She sighed heavily and looked at Joey and Tristan. She shook her head.

"Dammit, where is he?" said Tristan, pounding the table with his fist. "Why doesn't he answer?!?"

Joey buried his face into his hands. "We'll have to find him before the night gets any deeper. His grandfather is surely worried by now."

A polyphonic ringtone broke their reverie. Joey gave a start and fumbled with his pockets. His display was flashing. The caller was Hiromu, the butler of the Bakura family. Joey pressed the receive button and put the phone to his ear.

"Yeah?"

There was silence as Hiromu spoke. Téa and Tristan watched Joey anxiously. When his face turned dead serious, they knew there was another trouble heading their way.

"Yeah. We'll try our best. Yes---yeah, okay. No! Please don't call the police just as yet—yes, yes, we understand. Yes. Bye then." 

"Who was it?" Tristan asked.

"Hiromu Nakamura. Bakura family's butler." Joey replied. "Dammit, Ryou isn't home yet. Hiromu-san told me they tried to contact him, but the cellphone line was dead."

"What is this, missing people's day?" Tristan burst out, throwing his hands to the air. "First Yugi, now Ryou is missing too? If we don't get a call that tells Maximilian Pegasus or Seto Kaiba goes missing as well then it'd be a miracle!"

"Shut up, Tristan, this isn't a joke!" Téa snapped.

Joey shook his head and dialed Serenity's number. His sister answered quickly. "Serenity, no wait, listen up first okay? I'm not coming home tonight. Yeah, I'm not kidding—I'M NOT going to pachinko! Ah, shut up, just tell and mom we'll have a sleepover at Téa's. I mean us—Yugi, Tristan and me. Got that? HOMEWORK! Yeah, okay…you take care too. I love you, sis. Bye."

"What do you mean you're not _coming home tonight_?" Téa inquired.

Joey shrugged. "The search might take all night, come on, you only need common sense to think about it! Besides, we won't stop until we've found a clue or something like that…"

"Good point." Tristan agreed as he sipped some Coke.

"Listen," said Téa as she checked her watch. "I'll need to go home to ask permission and make some things up. I also need to change—I can't move well in this uniform. Why don't we just meet later at 8 in—um, in front of this restaurant?"

"Okay." Joey nodded.

"Agreed." said Tristan.

Téa stood up and went on her way. Five minutes later and Joey and Tristan also left the restaurant. They went separate ways—Joey eastward of the city and Tristan southward.

Marik was dead tired not because of their fencing class in PE that day, but because of the homework load they had been given. He hated school. Really hated it, if possible. But then, he should be _a good boy and be like his sister, Isis, who was studying very well_. Duh. It was probably the lamest thing their father said at his deathbed.

His shoulders drooped as he walked toward his gorgeous black Harley, which was parked between two sportscars belonging to 9th grader students. Marik pulled his helmet out of his bag and wore it before slinging a leg over the Harley. A minute later and he was speeding out of Seirin International School's driveway.

"Ishtar, see you tomorrow!"

"Hey Ishtar, I'd call you later!"

"Bye, Marik!"

"See you, Marik!"

"Bye!"

Marik shuddered slightly as he sped off from the gate and into the main highway. He was busy dodging the traffic by sliding in-between cars and trucks when something caught his eye just after the 5th stoplight turned red.

It was there, in the opposite street. Marik narrowed his violet eyes. 

Ryou Bakura was there, walking and supporting an unconscious looking Nefer Atemu. Marik jerked his head to see better. Yeah, it was Bakura all right, pulling Atemu with him. The two disappeared into a tight street obscured by garbage cans and neon signs. Thoughts quickly floated in Marik's head.

__

What were they doing?

Where are they going?

Ryou Bakura and Atemu together?

BEEEP!

Marik gave a start and sped away. He shook his head vigorously, as if chasing a nightmare. Maybe the pharaoh was drunk or something, and Ryou found him and offered to walk him home. 

Yeah, that would have been it.

That would have been it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry if it's short…but review anyway! Thanks!

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	10. The Score To Settle

Author's Note:

I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter

Chapter 10: _The Score To Settle_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura looked down at Yami's form with pure boiling hate. His hands itched so much to kill again, to touch the slimy feeling of flowing blood, but he had learned an important lesson in all his years inside the Millenium Ring: _patience_. 

He looked around wearily at the port warehouse in which he took the pharaoh. It was huge, housing only some twenty huge boxes or so. There were no guards. The place was perfect for the murder of his life. He licked his lips hungrily, tasting victory not very far from him now.

The King of Thieves fumbled in his pockets and brought out the KDC. His grin got more maniacal. While gazing at the gadget in his hand, he drew a magic card from his deck, the Time Seal. 

"Activate." He spoke to the cube in a clear voice.

The KDC came to life, in which the micro LEDs installed into it started flashing different colors. The cube opened up in such a way that it covered the whole of Bakura's palm and a hologram projection in the form of Mokuba Kaiba blinked up at its master.

"Your objective, master?" Mokuba asked, his voice very computer-ish. 

"Activate Magic Card." Bakura ordered, showing the Time Seal to Mokuba.

Mokuba looked at the magic card and closed his eyes. "Initiating."

The card glowed brilliantly, and turned into the paper seal that was the image of the Time Seal. Bakura's eyes widened with amazement. Mokuba opened his eyes.

"Time Seal activated." He said promptly.

"Good." Bakura nodded as he walked toward the still unconscious Yami and placed the Time Seal at the Millenium Puzzle. The seal flashed a brief red light, its powers activated. "Now, that blasted Yugi Mutou can't take over and interrupt my plans. Ha!"

"Anything more, master?" Mokuba asked.

Bakura had an idea. Surely those _idiots_ are looking for them right now. He withdrew two more cards from his deck.

"Activate monster card, Earl of Demise." He ordered.

Once again, Mokuba looked at the card before closing his eyes in meditation. "Initiating."

Like the Time Seal, the card of the Earl of Demise glowed brilliantly before the monster literally came to life before its master. Bakura looked up at the creature with awe. Then he threw back his head and guffawed.

"Earl of Demise activated." Mokuba announced.

"Excellent!" Bakura laughed deviously. "Excellent, just the wonders only technology can do!"

He turned to Mokuba. "Activate another monster card, Dark Necrofear!"

"Initiating."

The Dark Necrofear popped out beside the Earl. 

"Dark Necrofear activated." Mokuba saluted.

"Good." Bakura nodded again. "KDC, standby mode."

"Aye!" Mokuba answered before disappearing. The KDC automatically closed back into cube form, but the micro LEDs were still flashing beautifully on its surface. Bakura pocketed it.

"Now go, and keep Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor and Téa Gardner out of my way!" he ordered to his monsters. "If they persist, kill them!"

The Earl of Demise and Dark Necrofear bowed and left. Bakura returned to his primary target: Yami Yugi. His grin was there again.

At that time, Yami started to regain consciousness. He opened his violet eyes blearily, but his mind was quick to remind him of what had happened to him. He bolted upright, staring around until he found Bakura. His face gave way to a frown.

"You!" he snarled.

"Time to settle what has been begun three thousand years ago, pharaoh." Bakura said, raising his hand.

Light started to gather around his fingers, melding together into the shape of the Ancient Egyptian scimitar. The light started to disappear from the hilt to the blade. Bakura swung it down, the blade making an ominous _whoosh_ with the air as it went. 

Yami recognized that sword. It was the very same sword that killed his priest, Mahaado the Dark Magician, in the battle for the Millenium Ring. He didn't know that Bakura still had the ability to summon it-he had his priests destroy it after the execution.

"Just like the old times, pharaoh, a duel to the grave." said Bakura. "You won't know how long I have waited for this moment."

Yami stood up with great difficulty, owing to the injuries he had earlier. He didn't know if he could still summon his weapon, the curved gladius. But he had to try. Dammit, he couldn't even remember the basic swordhandling skills-but Bakura wasn't to know that.

He too, raised his hand, and to his great relief, he was still able to call forth his favorite weapon. The curved gladius looked like a grass hook, but it was a sword to reckon with. Yami knew his hands were shaking as he poised himself into what he hoped was a battle-stance. Bakura tilted his head sideward to look at him.

"Forgetting things, aren't we, pharaoh?" he said mockingly. "And to think you held the title of Kemet's Best Swordsman in those days."

A cold chill passed between Yami's shoulder blades. He couldn't remember anything about handling swords. This was a battle he was somehow going to lose if he didn't recall at least a single technique. But three thousand years in the Millenium Puzzle had robbed him of most knowledge in his reign as pharaoh.

__

The Millenium Puzzle!

Yami looked down at his artifact and gasped. "Damn-!"

"I had it _sealed_ for both our conveniences." Bakura told him. "I don't want that puny boy taking over as I chop his body to bits. I don't want to hear his _girly screams_."

Yami's grip on his gladius' hilt tightened. _I can't remember anything, oh great Ra, help me!_

"_I HEHT NU SETH NA!_" Bakura shrieked as he leapt to attack, scimitar raised high above his head.

Marik was busy eating octopus balls in his favorite food stall that night. His black Harley was parked beside the wooden cart and he chewed on the delicious delicacy. The stall owner was smiling as he observed his most faithful customer.

"Hungry, aren't you?" he asked Marik. "Your sister not up to cooking, isn't she?"

"You bet!" Marik moaned in pleasure after drinking some refreshing tea. "She can cook, but I dunno if what she cooks are edible."

The storeowner laughed heartily. "I always love your little jokes."

Marik nodded appreciatively. Just then, Joey sat down beside him, looking weary.

"One serving of octo-balls, please." Joey sighed. "And pitch in some tea."

As the owner bustled to give Joey his food, Marik looked at the one sitting beside him. He knew it wasn't his business whatsoever, but he had to ask.

"What're you doing out here in this time of the night?" he inquired through mouthfuls of octopus meat and wasabi. "Aren't you supposed to be at home?"

"Yugi's missing. We've been looking for him everywhere." Joey answered.

Marik nearly choked, his memory darting back to that mysterious phone call Atemu gave him days ago and to the sight he saw earlier that day. Did this somehow have a connection.?

"Really?" he asked, pretending to be uninterested. "Oh he'll turn up, I'm sure."

"_And_ Ryou Bakura's gone as well." Joey added.

His worst suspicions confirmed, Marik straightened in his seat.

"They can't've been missing, I saw them downtown walking together!" he burst out.

Joey turned to face him so suddenly that Marik could have sworn he heard Joey's neck give a _crunch_. "WHAT?!?"

"I saw them, I _swear_!" said Marik, facing Joey completely. "Yugi looks drunk, I mean, and Ryou was tugging him as they walked-supporting him, more like-did you know that Yugi drinks?"

Joey opened his mouth to answer, but the storeowner put his food before him. But something else happened as the storeowner's eyes widened, his hair stood on end and he screamed his loudest in his life.

"YAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

Both Joey and Marik jumped out of their skins in fright as the Earl of Demise loomed behind them, ready to kill.

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Cliffy! I always love cliffhangers! Please review!


	11. The Awakening

Author's Notes:

I don't know what has happened to FF.Net…but the formatting of this fic has been thrashed!

There **WILL** be a sequel to this fic. Watch out for: **Summons of the Sands**

I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!

On to the story.

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter:

Chapter 11: _The Awakening_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marik and Joey quickly leapt out of the way, but the octo-ball cart was smashed to bits by the Earl's sword. The vendor, losing his head completely, ran for his life, screaming into the night. The Earl rounded on Joey and Marik like a wolf cornering two vulnerable pups.

"I—I think I've gone mad!" Joey moaned as the Earl approached them. "A Duel Monster walking the street—oh my god, I think I need a psychologist!"

Marik, on the other hand, was thinking very fast.

__

It can't be, he said to himself. _I don't sense the Dark Game, or the power of any Millenium Artifact anywhere from this monster. What the hell is going on? How is this possible?_

His thinking was cut when the Earl attacked him and sent him soaring twenty feet away. Marik slammed into the nearby pile of rubbish. Joey was siezed with hysteria.

"Marik! OH GOD, MARIK!"

But the Keeper of the Millenium Rod was not to be defeated easily. Marik was quickly on his feet, the golden Rod in his hands. He pointed this to the Earl, who was approaching for another attack.

"I summon the power of Ra!" Marik shouted as the rod began to glow. "Obliterate this monster!"

Joey was sure Marik blasted the Earl with the Rod's power, but the monster was still alive, approaching them. The gruesome creature opened its mouth and slammed its sword into the ground, the two of them leaping away just in time.

"What happened? Isn't you Rod supposed to have power to obliterate Dark Game monsters?!" Joey demanded as they ran down the street and away from the attacking Earl.

"I don't know what's going on!" Marik snapped as he hopped onto his Harley and signaled for Joey to ride behind him. "Come on, we've got to go!"

Joey pulled himself up behind Marik and held real tight around the latter's waist.

The Earl of Demise gave a deafening roar as Joey and Marik escaped its clutches.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Yami felt numbing pain erupt from his chest, where Bakura's scimitar grazed his flesh, tearing through his skin. The pharaoh slammed into the wall and landed as a bleeding heap on the floor, too weak to fight.

"Stand up, Atemu!" Bakura shouted. "Stand up and fight!"

But Yami could barely keep himself conscious anymore…he had forgotten too many important things…this was it…he was going to die again…he and Yugi…

"YOU MISERABLE LITTLE OAF!" Bakura shrieked as he slammed his right foot into Yami's face. "NOW YOU SEE? I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU PUT ME INTO! YOU DESTROYED MY FAMILY! YOU SENT ME TO THE SHADOW REALM! YOU AND YOUR BULLSHIT FATHER DESTROYED MY LIFE! I'LL MAKE YOU FEEL DOUBLE OF EVERYTHING YOU MADE ME GO THROUGH! **DAMN YOU**!"

Bakura kicked again and again and again, each blow resonating with the boiling hate that engulfed him in this moment. Yami was not making any effort to fight…he took each blow faithfully. The pain was too great it had started to numb…

There was the final kick, and Yami was lying defenseless on the floor, a bloody heap in tatters. Bakura raised his sword for the deathstrike.

"I'll send you to Hell, where you belong!"

Yami closed his eyes as he heard the whiz of the blade against air.

__

I won't let you win this time!

Both Bakura and Yami's eyes widened. Just before the sword crashed down onto Yami's neck, a blinding flash occurred. The ghostly apparition that was Ryou appeared, transparently pulsating hands clasping the lethal blades. 

"RYOU, DON'T! YOU'LL USE UP ALL OF YOUR ENERGY! YOU'LL BE GONE FOREVER! STOP THIS!" Yami shouted as he tried to sit up, to help.

__

I won't let you win! You've oppressed me for too long! I won't let you hurt my friend! Ryou's ghost shouted even though its mouth was closed. 

"GODDAMN YOU, YOU USELESS GHOST!" Bakura shouted. "GO BACK TO HELL!"

That was the final cue for the Millenium Ring. The Millenium Artifact glowed with such ferocity that was never before seen, overwhelming both Ryou and Yami. They watched in horror as the corrupting power of the Millenium Ring swallowed its master. A horrific transformation had started to occur.

Bakura's eyes, which had been soulful brown, had turned into bloodred orbs in their sockets.

"_May the God Ra protect us from this great evil_…" Yami whispered in horror.

~~~~~~~~~

Short again! Bleh! Please review!!!


	12. The Help

Author's Notes:

I've added some separators for the reader's convenience. No matter how many times I replace the documents for this fic, the spaces don't show up. Crap.

Many have been clamoring for a lengthier chappie, so here it is.

I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh, okay?

On to the story.

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter:

Chapter 12: _The Help_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maximilian Pegasus, currently enjoying the white sands of Hawaii, looked up after the Millenium Eye alerted him of the violent surge of power of the Millenium Ring. He gave a start and sat up, facing the direction of the sky in which he hoped was also the sky above Japan. 

"Oh no!" He muttered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isis Ishtar was just coming home from the university. She too, felt the sudden and urgent tug of her Millenium Tauk. She stopped dead, her blue eyes wide.

"It can't be!" she gasped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mysterious Shadi, keeper of the Millenium Ankh and Millenium Scales, knew what was afoot. He stood at the top of the biggest pyramid in Giza; his eyes closed in deep meditation. He opened his eyes and looked at his Ankh, which was pulsating a warning red light. He held up the Millenium Scales and watched the balances tilt to the left on their own. 

Shadi clenched his free hand into a fist.

"The Ring has finally overwhelmed him." He muttered. "The time for the reunion of the Artifacts are drawing near. The pharaoh will soon return to Kemet."

With that, he disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"EEEKKKK!" Téa shrieked as she ducked to avoid the slash dished out by the Dark Necrofear's sword. "TRISTAN!"

Téa lunged recklessly forward and threw herself at Tristan, who caught her squarely before the two of them slammed into the nearby pile of black bin bags. Tristan was quick; he'd quickly swept Téa in his arms and stood up to escape.

"RUN, TRISTAN, RUN!" Téa wailed as she watched the Dark Necrofear chase them. "OH MY GOD, DUCK!!!"

Tristan bent forward with a loud crunch from his backbone. The blade of the Necrofear's sword missed his head by inches, and he actually saw a couple of hair strands being cut by the blade. He felt pure terror shoot through him.

"I don't wanna die yet!" Tristan shouted as he pumped more effort to his legs. "I DON'T WANNA DIE YET!"

He ran faster, Téa bounding wildly in his arms as he dashed. They rounded on a nearby street, when a sudden burst of bright light made them stop. Tristan heard the shrill squeak of rubber tires against the road, and the hum of a motorcycle engine.

"Téa, Tristan! Hurry up and heave yourselves on!" Joey said urgently.

"J-Joey?!" said Téa, hardly daring to believe it.

"HURRY UP AND RIDE!" Marik shouted as he revved up his Harley.

Tristan quickly put Téa back down on the ground. He'd helped her ride behind Joey, and then heaved himself clumsily onto whatever space left of Marik's gorgeous motorcycle. Marik revved up the engine for the last time and went speeding off through another corner just as the Dark Necrofear and the Earl of Demise emerged from the streets they've left behind.

The four of them quickly reentered the main highway. 

"What the hell is going on, Marik?!" Tristan demanded as he tried desperately to hold on. "Did you send those monsters after us?!"

"IF I SENT THEM, WOULD THEY TRY TO KILL ME TOO?!? FOR GOD'S SAKE, USE YOUR HEAD!" Marik shrieked back. 

"Then who sent them after us?!? What is going on?!? Who brought those Duel Monsters to life? Who did this?!?" Téa asked exasperatedly. "Where is Yugi? Where is Ryou?"

"I believe I know where they are." Marik replied as his eyes narrowed. "Hold on and I'll take us there! Yugi and Ryou might be desperately in need of our help!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a loud crash as Yami was blasted off his feet for the nth time now. He tried in vain to soften up his fall, but he'd made a wrong turn and landed instead on his left arm, which immediately crippled beneath him. He cried out in pain.

He staggered to sit up, clutching his broken arm. 

Bakura, now completely under the Millenium Ring's control, was slowly walking toward him. Yami felt himself retreat. It was a cowardly thing; he had never retreated from anything like this before, but this Bakura approaching him no longer had any trace of his humanity. What was walking toward him now was a monster created by the Ring.

"Bakura….fight it!" Yami moaned. "You can still fight the ring! Fight it, for Ra's sake!"

"SHUT UP AND DIE!" Bakura roared in an unearthly voice.

He extended his hand toward Yami, and between his fingers a huge energy ball started to form. Yami did not move from where he sat nursing his broken left arm. Instead he just closed his eyes.

__

If this will bring him back to normal then I will do it…!

"NOOOOOO!"

Yami's eyes snapped open. Ryou's feeble ghost threw itself infront of him, arms wide. Yami opened his mouth in a scream. The energy ball went right through Ryou's ghost, the light boring through the spirit. There was a loud explosion as the warehouse was destroyed as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Téa covered her ears as Marik's tires squeaked shrilly against the road when they turned into a street that led to the marina. Behind her, Tristan was barely able to keep himself together. He had been flying loosely behind them like a banner, because only his hands now connected him to the Harley and to his life.

"Look there!" Marik yelled as he pointed toward the flames where the Millenium Ring's signal was coming from. "THEY'RE OVER THERE!"

"AND WE HAVE SOME CRITTERS BEHIND US AS WELL! HEEELLPPP!" Tristan yelled as the Earl of Demise narrowly missed his right foot by two inches.

"Ch," Marik gritted his teeth together as he pointed the Millenium Rod behind him and started blasting off the two monsters. "Bothersome idiots, the two of them—!"

"HEY! QUIT IT, YOU'LL KILL ME TOO!" Tristan wailed.

"MARIK, WATCH OUT!" Joey shouted. 

Marik returned his eyes to the road and discovered that they were about to slam straight into a parked truck. He jerked the motorcycle sharply to the left, the tires squeaking and smoking and leaving dark marks on the road.

"You—have—no—right—to—earn—a—driving—license—!" Joey grunted, his face green.

But Marik didn't listen to him. They spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees, now facing the Dark Necrofear and the Earl of Demise. Joey's grip around Marik's waist tightened.

"Err, I think we're facing the wrong direction? Marik?" Joey asked fearfully.

"He's right!" Tristan moaned. "The warehouses are _that_ way—not _this_ way!"

"What are you doing?!" Téa demanded.

The Harley's engine got louder and louder as Marik revved it up. "Shut your mouths—or else bite your tongues off."

He scooted full-speed toward the two monsters. Joey, Tristan and Téa all screamed together.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Agk—hgh—!" Yami choked as Bakura lifted him from the ground, hand tightly curled around his neck. "Aghh—!"

"This is over for you, pharaoh!" Bakura said diabolically. "You too shall share the same fate with that ghost!"

Yami was fighting to keep himself conscious. The pain from his broken arm was tripled now, and Bakura was forcing oxygen out of his lungs. Every now and then his vision would dim and return, dim and return. Needless to say he was in a critical condition.

"Fight—the—Millenium—Ring—Bakura—!" Yami gasped for breath. "Fight—it—please—"

But the hand around his neck just got tighter. Yami felt himself reel.

"DIE!" Bakura shouted.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Both Yami and Bakura turned. Marik, Joey, Téa and Tristan burst from behind a nearby pile of boxes. Marik quickly whipped out the Millenium Rod and pointed it toward Bakura.

"BY THE POWER OF RA!" Marik yelled.

Golden light erupted from the Rod and clashed with both Bakura and Yami with a jolt. The Tomb Robber let go of the pharaoh and collapsed on the ground, screaming and thrashing as if he was on fire. 

"GET AWAY FROM HIM, YUGI!" Joey screamed hysterically.

Yami staggered away, dragging his broken arm with him. He fell forward, but Marik caught him in a flash. 

"That's not—the Ring—engulfed—not his fault—!" Yami tried to speak.

"I know, pharaoh, I know!" Marik said urgently. He looked up to see what had happened to Bakura. His violet eyes widened. "Oh my god!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's a wrap! Wee! Final chapter for Here and Thereafter next, and watch out for the sequel, Summons of the Sands. Please review!


	13. The Beginning Of The End

Author's Notes:

Wee! Final chapter at last! Thank you so much for all those precious reviews! You guys are the best!

Watch out for the sequel, which will come sometime in May. I can't type it right now because we're busy at school!

I don't **OWN** Yu Gi Oh!

On to the final chapter! **WARNING**: Cliffhanger ending ahead!

=====================================================================

****

Here and Thereafter

Chapter 13: _The Beginning of the End_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smoke. Thick, white smoke was coming from Bakura with a loud hiss. The Millenium Ring glowed an angry shade of red. Marik left Yami in Joey and Téa's care as he straightened up. For some reason his grip around the Millenium Rod tightened. 

"YOU DARE GET IN MY WAY! I SHALL KILL YOU TOO!" The Millenium Ring screamed using Bakura's mouth. "HOW DARE YOU, FOOLISH MORTAL!"

Things happened very fast. Tristan saw Bakura launching himself toward Marik, clawed right hand outstretched. Marik was shielding himself with the Millenium Rod. An explosion of blinding white light. A violet sizzling sound. Screams—from Marik or Bakura, Tristan couldn't know—

And then there was a great shattering sound. Tristan, Joey, Téa and Yami saw Marik's body form an arc as he was blasted away. The keeper of the Millenium Rod landed some eighty feet away, unconscious. A few inches from his hand was the Millenium Rod, shattered into bits. 

"MARIK!" Tristan yelled as he went to help.

But even before he could get to Marik's aid, Bakura had already blasted him away. Tristan was hurled away screaming. He landed, luckily, into a nearby pile of black plastic bags. The possessed Bakura now rounded on Téa, Joey and Yami. 

"What's happening to you, Ryou?!" Téa demanded. "What the hell do you think you're doing? We're your friends!"

"That's—_not_—Ryou!" Yami gasped. "That's—his—yami!"

Yami staggered as he tried to stand. Téa tried to pull him back but he'd slapped her hand away. He faced Bakura, tearing at the Time Seal as he did so. He'd managed to tear off the paper talisman. The Puzzle glowed blue in answer.

The Millenium Ring attacked. But Yami was ready. 

"OBLITERATE!"

"MIND CRUSH!"

Téa and Joey shielded their eyes. The wind had become so strong that they felt their hairs stand on end. The light was so intense it made Téa's eyes water up—!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Téa opened her eyes, she and Joey were both lying flat on the ground. Yami was the only one left standing, broken arm hanging oddly from his shoulder. Ryou and his Millenium Ring was gone, nowhere to be seen.

"What happened, Yami?" Joey demanded. "Tell us what's going on!"

But Yugi took over at that time. He'd looked at Joey, eyes filled with fear.

"The Ring's taken over him completely, Joey." said Yugi. "And he sent Ryou's spirit to the Shadow Realm. He's gone beyond our reach anymore. And he's destroyed the Millenium Rod too…"

"THEN WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US?" Joey demanded, shaking Yugi.

Yugi winced in pain, and Joey was forced to withdraw his hands.

"I don't know, Joey…" Yugi replied weakly. "I…don't…know…"

With that, Yugi Mutou fainted, surrendering at last to the pain and fatigue that had been racking him now for hours. The last things he saw were Joey and Téa, and the last he'd heard were their calls.

"Yugi…!"

"Yugi…!"

"Yugi…!"

****

THE END

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Please leave a review! Thanks!!!!


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